


Affinity

by ohhhkenneth



Category: GOT7
Genre: M/M, Romance, jark, kpop, markson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-17 11:59:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 51,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4665765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohhhkenneth/pseuds/ohhhkenneth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark is a mature, quiet and intellectual young man looking forward to his first year in nursing school come September. He has just moved to Vancouver, a lively and pretty city overlooking the ocean where he knows absolutely nobody. Jackson is a handsome, rugged, and charming young man that seems to always find his way into Mark's path. The two become connected through a chance meeting at their dance studio, and the rest is history. Will Mark show his true affinity for Jackson against all odds, or will his chances slip through his fingers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vancity

**Author's Note:**

> Before you read any further there's a couple things you should know: 1) I have never, ever written any sorts of stories or shorts or anything of the sort. So, please bear with me and we'll get through this together. 2) I have never written or even imagined writing any sort of sex scenes or smut, but it always interested me. 3) I love GOT7 and the relationship between Mark and Jackson is something I always got so happy over, so it's nice to delve into that, explore it, and take it further and be imaginative and creative with it. Enjoy!  
> This story is also posted on AsianFanFics, under the same username.

  


_CRASH!~_  A heavy box slammed to the ground as Mark started taping it shut. He had spent the entire week cleaning out his belongings and deciding what he wanted to take with him to Vancouver. Mark was a very well kept and simple guy, so there wasn't much besides books, clothes, and his electronics. He had never traveled anywhere alone before, so it was both nerve wracking and exciting at the same time. 

"Hurry up buddy, I want to make it to Vancouver before I die!" Mark's dad shouted from the living room.

"Yeah, just a minute! I'm on the last box." Mark yelled back as he picked up the last box and carried out to the car. 

"Are you nervous?" his dad questioned with a huge smile.

"Not really..." Mark shrugged, "It'll be nice to have my own space where I don't have to endure your horrible jokes." he said with a quick smirk.

"Easy, Tuan. Or we'll have a mysterious accident on the way down the coast and they'll find you swimmin' with the fish." his dad chuckled while ruffling Mark's red hair.

Mark laid in the back of the four door SUV with his headphones in while he stared out the window. Trees and power lines blurred passed as he thought about all the things he would have to do once he got settled in his new apartment. He was glad he didn't bring much with him - this move was symbolic in the sense that it meant he was a man; real men take charge of their lives and are independent. He saw the move as a chance to reinvent himself and learn everything he could being alone. Hopefully make new friends, too. The thought of being over a thousand miles away from his family and friends gave Mark a rush - he enjoyed the freedom and anonymity that came along with it. He could finally be who he wanted to be without the watchful eyes of his peers.

The highway seemed to never end, and as they drove along the coast up to Canada, Mark could see people playing on the beach and surfing. He examined the groups of people curiously. There was the typical beach muscle men, the bikini wearing blondes with perfect boobs, and the token fat guy with the hairy chest and newspaper. Things were going to be a lot different for Mark, especially since the weather in Vancouver was almost always rainy and a little chilly during the fall and winter. This wasn't completely a turn off for Mark, as he was more of an Autumn kind of guy. He enjoyed wearing layers and scarves, and his pale skin made him a lot more attracted to cloudy weather because there was no risk of burning. 

After what seemed like a week of driving, and sitting through song after song of Papa Tuan's '2NE1 playlist' they finally arrived in Vancouver. When they pulled up to a large grey apartment building with a thin steel gate around it, Mark was taken back by the size of it.   
"Wow, it really looked a lot smaller in the pictures." he said over his shoulder to his dad.

"Well, try your best not to get lost." his dad shot back, "I'll help you find your unit before we unpack this stuff."

On the way to the elevator Mark noticed a small Asian woman who seemed to be the building's landlord. She was hunched over and standing at about four feet tall, she wore a green visor and a pink floral rain jacket. When she caught sight of Mark she perked up instantly and went waddling over to him. 

"Ah, you must be the California boy no doubt. Which is odd cause you're whiter than a ghost. Marcus, was it?" she snapped.

"Eh.. actually.." Mark stammered, "It's just Mark-"

"You know my nephew's name is Marcus." the woman interrupted, "You two would get along so well. Except the fact that he can't get off that damn video game. It'll suck out all his brain cells I tell him, but he still plays it until odd hours of the morning..."

Mark slowly turned his head to his father with a scrunched up face, almost as if to say _'HELP ME.'_

Papa Tuan caught on quickly and interjected, "Ahem. So I'm MARK'S father, Raymond. You must be the landlady?"

The woman paused when dad started talking and gave him a scowl, "Yes, I am Linda. I run the building. Which means NO funny business." she said as she darted her eyes at Mark, "I have eyes and ears everywhere in this place. The Ambassador is my home, and I like to run a tight ship around here."

"Of course. I'll mostly be studying and I am a very quiet person." he said with the most gentle and reassuring face he could muster up.

Linda gave a stout head nod and then waved her hands frantically for the Tuan men to follow her, "You'll be in unit 303. There's a nice young lady across from you, I think she goes to the university as well. Good girl. Maybe you guys will get married."

"Oh, haha I don't know about that..." Mark said hesitantly. 

Once Mark got all the boxes into his place, it was time to say goodbye to his father. Papa Tuan had to get back to L.A. as soon as possible, since he didn't get to take much time off work. Being a single dad meant that he needed to work as much as he could to help support Mark and be able to live comfortably himself. The relationship between Mark and his dad was indescribable and only got stronger after the passing of Mark's mom when he was seven. Since then it was just the two of them day in and day out, with dad making immense sacrifices in order to give Mark everything he needed.

After an emotional goodbye Mark found himself completely alone, surrounded by nothing but boxes. The air was calm and the evening sunset was creeping through the living room curtains. As he sat down and took everything in, Mark couldn't help but get misty eyed and lump in his throat. This was it. This was home. He just hoped that he was making the right decision.

 


	2. Krystal and Bruiser

  


It was seven in the morning when Mark was rudely awaken by what he could only assume was a dog, but mostly just sounded like some sort of dying beast. He rolled over in his bed and smothered himself in his blue pillow. It was the end of his first week in his new place. He had finally unboxed everything and it was starting to feel like home finally - a bit bare, and kind of empty - but home nonetheless. 

Once he realized he wasn't going to be getting any more sleep he finally gave in and summoned himself out of bed. His naked body caught the light when he stood up and made him glow like he was made out of marble. Mark liked sleeping in the nude, it was something he was never able to do back home because of Papa Tuan and his... less than subtle wake up calls. Mark slowly put on his black briefs one leg at a time and glided his way into the bathroom. His red hair caught him by surprise when he turned on the light, and it reminded him that he wants to dye it blonde. ' _New city, new me.'_ he thought to himself.

After making a small pot of green tea it was time for Mark to uncover the source of the dying animal that doubled as his alarm clock. He walked over to his front door and looked through the peep-hole into the hallway. There was nothing there, but he could still hear the faint sounds of grunting coming from across the hall. He remembered what Linda had said about the nice girl who was his neighbor, but he hadn't gotten a chance to meet her. After running back to his room and grabbing a red pair of pajama pants, he decided to introduce himself to the neighbor. Armed with his green tea, Mark made his way across the hall. What was only a few feet seemed like a mile to Mark because he was nervous to meet new people, and he tried to avoid confrontation at all costs. 

_Tap tap tap._ Mark knocked on the door quietly. As soon as his hand left the door there was a loud howl and what sounded like a lumpy dog running at the door from the other side. 

"Quiet, Bruiser! Down! Be nice!" a petite voice called from inside the apartment. The green door slowly creaked open only about an inch or two, and Mark could make out what looked like a bulldog's nose frantically sniffing and licking at the bottom near his feet.

"Okay Bruiser get in your corner. NOW!" the girl shrieked, and with that the dog retreated slowly back into the darkness. 

"I'm really sorry about that, he isn't usually that hyper in the mornings but he's been sick so lately his sleeping pattern has been off." she explained calmly, "I really hope he hasn't kept you awake. Linda is really on my case about his crying."

"No, no. Not a problem. I don't even notice it." Mark lied. "I'm Mark. I just moved in this week. I thought I would introduce myself."

"I'm Krystal. Krystal Jung." the girl said with a huge smile. "Hopefully we see more of each other. Are you going to UBC in September?"

"Yeah, I am. Just got accepted into the nursing program. So hopefully it goes well." Mark said shyly rubbing his head.

"SHUT. UP. I'm in the nursing program too. First year!" she bounced. Mark could tell that Krystal was going to take some getting used to. His energy level at seven in the morning was the complete opposite of hers. Something told him that she wasn't ever drained of energy.

 

****

 

After his interaction with Krystal, Mark decided he should eat. He threw on a yellow sweater, grabbed his keys, and headed out the door. When the elevator doors opened he was greeted by Linda who was busy watering the plants in the lobby. 

"Good morning Marcus..." Linda said robotically without looking at Mark.

"Mornin'!" Mark called back as he went out the front door with a quick eye roll. 

The neighborhood Mark lived in was very peaceful. As he walked down the small sidewalk he took in all the sights and sounds of his new stomping grounds. Seagulls flew overhead in flocks of three, and a man with a beard went zipping by in a pair of roller blades. Mark couldn't help but feel a little bit homesick as he saw a group of young people getting ready for what he assumed was a day at the beach, fresh Starbuck's drinks and sunglasses, laughing together as they crossed the street. He knew that the feeling of loneliness and homesickness would pass eventually, but for now it stung a little bit. He went a few more blocks before he found himself standing outside of a building named "Tim Horton's." This wasn't something they had back in California, so he decided to head in and see what it was like.

As Mark stood in the line deciding which breakfast sandwich he wanted, there was a small buzz in his back pocket. He instinctively reached down and pulled out his iPhone which had a notification on the lock screen:

PAPA TUAN (text)  
_"Hi son! Goodmorning, I hope ur ok. I miss u dimsum._  
_Ok bye. Love, dad."_

Mark couldn't understand why his dad signed his name after every text message, but he was so used to it that he didn't notice it anymore. After quickly responding to it he put his phone away and ordered his breakfast.

On the way home Mark couldn't help but notice a brick building down the street with the words, 'NEXT LEVEL DANCE STUDIO" written across the banner. Mark suddenly found himself walking towards the building without even thinking about it. There was a sheet of paper taped to the front entrance door that read 'SIGN UP SHEET.' It looked like a dozen people had already signed up for the weekly classes, which meant that there was opportunity for Mark to maybe meet some people. 

_'Man, it's been so long since I danced. I would probably look so out of place in there. Everyone in there would probably laugh at me.'_ He thought to himself. After pacing around the entrance for a few more minutes, Mark made the bold decision to write his name on the paper. ' _What's the worst that could happen?'_ he said under his breath.  _'If I don't like it I will stop going. But now I can't say that I didn't take any chances.'_

With that Mark headed back down the road to his building to see if he could sneak passed Linda and hopefully get a few more hours of sleep, if Bruiser allowed it, that is.


	3. Next Level

  


In anticipation for his first dance class, Mark invited Krystal over to help him dye his hair blonde. He wanted to make the change before class so that it was the first impression people got of him. ' _The red hair was the old Mark, this is new new Mark_ ,' he thought to himself. 

"Why don't you just go to a salon and get this done?" Krystal said while putting on the latex gloves, "It would probably look a lot better than anything I can do."

"Becaaaaause," Mark said matter-of-factly, "that would cost a lot of money that I do not have. I already feel bad enough that my dad is paying my rent. I have to get a job soon, so until then this will just have to do. Now are you gonna help me or not?"

"Of course I will, silly." Krystal said shyly, "I just hope you like having green hair." she cackled menacingly. 

"You wouldn't dare!" Mark gasped back with a half smile. 

 

***

 

The dance class went from 7 to 9pm every Tuesday, and it was already 6:30, so Mark decided to start getting ready. He wanted to look nice, but not so nice as to draw any unwanted attention to himself. He was going for comfort as well, above all else, so he decided to wear a nice pair of loose fitting grey sweats with a tank top that had a picture of a penguin on it. He matched it with a grey beanie and laced up his Nike sneakers. 

On the way to the studio Mark's phone buzzed in his pocket. 

KRYSTAL JUNG (text)

_"Have fun Mark! And remember don't fall or break your legs doing the splits! LOL"_

MARK TUAN (text) 

_"Ha, ha. Very funny. I'm a martial arts tricker remember? I think I can handle a little bit of hip hop and Jazz."_

KRYSTAL JUNG (text)

_"Whatever you say, monkey boy. Just let me know all about it when you get home._

_Let yourself into my place, I'll make popcorn. :P"_

MARK TUAN (text)

_"Alright, sounds good. Gotta go, here now. Ttyl!"_

The dance studio reminded Mark of the factory that his dad worked at. The building was very old, and made of mostly brick, with pipes and water fixtures visibly exposed on the ceiling. There was about seven or eight people there: a mixture of boys and girls, all about the same age as mark, 21. He singled out a man that seemed to be the center of attention and assumed that he was the instructor. The man wore blue basketball shorts and a loose fitting black tee, he had his hair tied up out of his face and Mark noticed a few sweat droplets around the edges of his face. They had already started to warm up. 

"Hi, Mark Tuan." Mark said as he put down his duffel bag, "I'm really excited about this. I've never danced in such a long time."

"Perfect! Nice to meet you Mark," the instructor said out of breath while putting his hand out to shake Mark's, "We love new blood in here, and you look like you can move."

"Ah, haha, mostly I was just into martial arts and parkour-style tricks." Mark said shaking his head with a half laugh, "I wouldn't call myself a dancer by any means."

"I'll be the judge of that, won't I?" the instructor smirked back, "Now everyone gather round and I'll split you off into pairs for our first lesson."

_'Pairs? Perfect. This will give me a chance to introduce myself to someone. All the people here seem like they're decent. This could be fun-'_ Mark's inner thought was cut short when he heard the front door slam shut. He slowly shifted his gaze over to the door to see who had just come late through the door.

Standing at about 5'7 and wearing a blazer with navy blue trim, Jackson Wang strolled into the class with not a care in the world. Even though it was everyone's first class, Jackson walked in as if he'd been there a million times. His jet black hair was styled back in a nice fringe, and his dark jeans seemed to be perfectly tailored to hug his thighs. 

"Who's this guy?" a girl scoffed as Jackson got closer to the group, "He looks like he could be a backup dancer for Michael Jackson." she laughed.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Jackson said calm and sternly, "I'm sorry I'm late..." he said apologetically to the instructor who was in the middle of pairing people off.

"Sure sure Jackson, just quickly go stand beside Mark." he said as he gestured over towards where Mark was standing alone, "He's new in town. Be nice."

Jackson glanced over at Mark and gave him a quick up-and-down. After taking his jacket off he slowly sauntered over towards Mark. Now that his jacket was off, Mark noticed just how nice Jackson's muscles were. Every divot and ridge in his arms seem to pop out when he made any movement. 

"I'm Jackson, as you probably know by now." Jackson said without looking at Mark.

"M-Mark. Tuan. Mark Tuan." Mark couldn't put his finger on what was making him so nervous. The smell of Jackson's cologne was like a mixture of an expensive night in a fancy restaurant with just a hint of rugged spice under it. 

"Well, Mark Tuan, I know this is your first time here, and this'll be my third summer taking this class, so I'll show you the ropes if you want." he said as he stretched his toned arms over his head. 

Just as Mark was about to respond to Jackson's offer, a song came on that seemed to snap him out of his reverie. It was Cassie's "ME & U" and it was coming through on the speakers extremely loud. Mark could feel the bass in his chest and it made him feel surprisingly good. 

"Today we're going to start off with some easy popping and locking," the instructor shouted over the music as he began to move his body in a thrusting and locking motion, "Follow along. Really _feel_ the music. Try to time it for the down beat" he said as he continued to dance.

Suddenly Mark felt a bit out of his comfort zone. It's one thing to watch a lesson, but as soon as the music starts and it's your turn everything gets really real. Mark started by slowly bobbing his body back and forth to the beat, slowly working his way up to the motions that the instructor had done just previously.

"You alright there Bambi?" a voice said behind him, "You look like you're just learning how to walk, and that look on your face says that you just saw your mom get rifled down." Jackson said as he giggled like a hyena. 

Without paying any attention to the jerk behind him, Mark continued his movements, eventually get the hang of it. 

"You know this song is really sexy, you could at least add some sex-appeal into it." Jackson said, "Like this."

Just then Jackson came sliding past Mark at super human speed, and landed with a twist. He began popping his body flawlessly to every beat of the song, and took it a step further by gyrating his hips in Mark's direction. Mark felt his face get a little red, and he rolled his eyes and turned away from Jackson, who was now doing the moonwalk back towards Mark. After the song ended Jackson spun around and dropped into a perfect split. 

"See, Bambi? Not hard at all." he said catching his breath. 

"That's all for today, you guys did great! Don't worry you'll all get there." the instructor said.

"Great, now I feel like an idiot. Thanks a lot, asshole." Mark said with an annoyed expression on his face, "I'm getting outta here now." 

Mark grabbed his belongings before the rest of the group could get to the stack of bags and coats first. He wasn't interested in staying to thank the instructor, only to get out of there as soon as possible. 

Walking a hundred miles a minute down the sidewalk, Mark felt a buzz in his pocket. He assumed it was Krystal wanting to know how things went, so he quickly unlocked his iPhone to go off on a rant about how annoying Jackson was; however, the number that messaged him was one he didn't have saved.

+1(604)997-4543 (text)

_"Hey... Bambi? Hope this reaches u. I found ur number from the sign up sheet.  
Sorry about today. I am an ass. Make it up to u? Lunch tomorrow? Let me know."_

_***_

"I can't just let him take me to lunch and expect everything to be okay!" Mark said pacing around the living room of Krystal's apartment while she sat cross-legged stuffing her face with popcorn.

"Maybe he's some sort of hidden camera guy, and they're all in on some elaborate prank to embarrass you on TV. Just like in that show 'Punk'd!" she giggled while popcorn fell onto her lap, which Bruiser quickly slurped up.

"Really? Not making me feel any better." Mark said sitting down on the couch, his leg still bouncing from his anxiety. 

"Well, I think that every one deserves a second chance. This guy obviously went through some trouble to get your number from the sign up sheet. Which means he really must be sorry." Krystal said happily. "Just send him a text back and see what he says. If he wants to treat you to some nice place for lunch, let him. But if he thinks he can get off the hook by buying you a Big Mac, then forget him!" she tossing a popcorn kernel at Mark.

Mark laughed and tossed his head back to try and catch the popcorn, "You know, he was a really good dancer. I'm not so much embarrassed because I'm bad, but because of how  _good_ he was. It was like his whole body was made out of air, the way he glided around so effortlessly. And he had really nice clothes, and he smelled really frickin' good"

"Jeez, why don't you marry the guy?!" Krystal said with her mouth wide open, "Maybe he'll propose to you at McDonald's tomorrow."

Mark scoffed at Krystal and the thought of any attraction towards that idiot, then his face suddenly dropped, because for a second he found himself blushing while describing Jackson to Krystal. 

 


	4. Good Tonight

JACKSON WANG (text)

_"I'm the one in the black snap back, you can't miss me."_

MARK TUAN (text)

_"Alright, see u soon."_

It was a gloomy Wednesday, and Mark was making his way to a local coffee shop where he was supposed to be meeting Jackson for lunch. On his way there a few rain droplets landed on his phone screen. Mark pulled his grey hood over his head and zipped up his sweater as far as it would go before letting out a small shiver. The coffee shop was called Remedy, and there seemed to be a lot of people there. Business men were lining up waiting for their coffees, and a small quiet woman was curled up with a tea and her laptop near the window. Mark squinted and panned the room for any signs of Jackson. 

"Over here, Mark!" Jackson yelled while waving his hands, which made a few people stare over into his direction. Jackson really  _wasn't_ subtle. 

His black snapback was backwards, hiding his brown hair. Jackson wore a white long sleeve T-shirt that was just tight enough to make out his chest. Mark sat down awkwardly, not sure of how to begin their conversation.

"I'm happy you came. I know I can be a bit of a jerk, but there was no excuse for my antics last night." Jackson explained, and with a swift hand extension he went to shake Mark's, "I'm sorry, okay?" 

Mark took Jackson's hand slowly to shake it. Jackson's hand was warm and his grip was firm, and kind of hurt Mark's hand. 

"It's alright, I guess I can be kind of sensitive as well" Mark said, trying to placate Jackson. "Usually I'm not surrounded by so many people, and being put on the spot like that... I just... sort of wanted to escape."

"Yeah, I understand. But you were actually not bad. For a rookie, I mean." Jackson tilted his head to the side, "Makes me wonder how you were able to move so fluid if you hadn't danced before."

Mark looked down, clearly shy, "I did some martial arts tricking back in California. That's where I'm from. My dad made me get into all sorts of sports and things like that."

"Smart man, your dad." Jackson said slowly nodding his head, "So, Cali eh? How are you liking the wetness that is Vancouver?"

"It doesn't bother me. I like it, actually." Mark said picking up the menu. "Do you know what you want to eat?" he asked politely.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry much. I just wanted an excuse to meet up with you." Jackson confessed, "So please, order what you want and I'll cover it."

_'Seriously, he's not even going to eat?! What does he think, I'm just going to sit here stuffing my face while he watches?!'_ Mark thought, getting kind of irritated.

"Well, I am not going to eat unless you get something." Mark said sternly, putting the menu down. 

"Fine, I'll get whatever you're having" Jackson retorted, with a small corner smile.

"Fine." Mark shot back, "I'll have the soup and sandwich of the day, with a small marble mocha."

"Well, don't tell me. Tell the waitress, silly." Jackson laughed. Mark gave him a death glare that seemed to have no effect on Jackson.

***

Three hours later, surrounded by empty bowls and plates filled with crumbs, Mark was curled up in his chair sipping on the remnaints of a cold mocha. Jackson was deep into a story about how he was a master fencer back in China, and even competed in the Chinese Junior Olympics. Mark highly doubting everything that came out of Jackson's mouth, but gave him the benefit of the doubt because he seemed to be extremely into the story. 

"Wow, look at the time. If we stay here any longer we'll have to order dinner and dessert, haha." Jackson joked, looking at his phone.

"Yeah, I should really get going too. I need to go job searching." Mark said as he wiped his legs of crumbs.

"Hey, why don't you grab an application for here? It's close to your place, it's quiet, cute, and cozy. Just like you, sitting in that chair." Jackson said smiling at Mark. This caught Mark off guard completely and he nearly choked on the last drink of his mocha. 

"Whoa! Are you okay?!" Jackson gasped, standing up to put his hand on Mark's back as he coughed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just went down the wrong tube I guess." he said, still trying to process what Jackson had said about him.

"Here, I'll grab an application for you. Give me a minute." Jackson said as he speed walked to the front counter. 

_'Did he just call me... cute? Is Jackson gay? Or just friendly...'_ Mark thought to himself, still recovering from the coughing. 

"Here! Fill it out now so that we can get out of here." Jackson said, planting a two-page application onto the table. "I have a pen you can use, too."

Mark sat down without saying a word, and began filling in his information. He had no previous knowledge of coffee or any of that stuff, but he figured he could get by on his cashier experience helping his dad out in the summers selling cherries. 

"All done." Mark said softly, blowing on the pages, making sure they were nice and crumb free.

Mark handed the application into the waitress with the request to give it to the manager. The waitress smiled and nodded at Mark, and he turned to motion to Jackson that they were leaving.

***

Outside Mark was a bit confused, he was nervous to have Jackson walk him all the way to his apartment because he didn't want Linda to get on his case about bringing... rougher looking guys around. Jackson was wearing a leather jacket over his white shirt, with his snapback completed by a pair of black Ray Ban's. He really looked like he could beat someone up, or rob somebody's purse. 

"You don't have to walk me home, it's fine. Really.." Mark stuttered, trying to be as non-awkward as he could.

"Whaaa? Who said anything about walking?" Jackson said with a scrunched up face. "I'll just drop you off." After that he pulled a set of keys out of his jacket pocket and clicked what appeared to be a remote car starter. 

_BEEP BEEP!_ Behind the boys a black tinted SUV lit up at the button. It was a beautiful BMW, with shiny silver rims and leather seats. Mark was a bit taken back by it, now that his plan to ditch Jackson had just been foiled. 

"Well... I guess you could drop me off. It's not really a long drive, I could just walk" Mark wrestled with his words, stunned at the beauty of the vehicle. 

"No, friends of mine don't walk anywhere, not when I'm around and breathing." Jackson said, adjusting his sunglasses. "Let's go, Bambi."

Inside the vehicle Mark could make out the faint smell of Jackson's cologne, and it warmed his heart a little bit. He turned his head to look out the window so that Jackson wouldn't notice him smiling to himself. While he was busy hiding his smile from Jackson, a familiar song came on the speakers: _"You've been waiting so long, I'm here to answer your call..."_ It was "ME & U" by Cassie. Mark blushed and kept facing out the window. He glanced over at Jackson, who had one hand on the wheel and the other on the gear shifter, he looked  _so cool._ Mark chuckled a bit to himself while bobbing his head along to the song.

"Alright, this is me." Mark said as they pulled up to The Ambassador. "Maybe you shouldn't pull into the parking lot. I have a landlady who is more like a land-troll."

"Nonsense. I love meeting new people." Jackson said as he turned into the gated parking lot. 

"MARCUS!" A small shriek came from the office window. "Are you a drug dealer now Marcus?!" Linda came outside with her green visor on and a small purple umbrella. 

"Linda, no I'm not a drug dealer. This is Jackson, he's from my dance class." Mark said as he rolled the passenger window down.

Jackson peeked his head down so Linda could see him, "Hi there! Jackson Wang. Nice to meet you Miss." he said, trying to be charming. 

"If I find you selling drugs on my property I'll have the cops here faster than you can say 'Wang' again." she said furiously as she waddled back into the building.

"Well, she's a gem, isn't she?" Jackson said turning to Mark. "Hey, listen. I had a good time today. Thank you for giving me the chance to apologize."

"You know what? I actually had a pretty good time too." Mark said, surprising himself.

"Well don't act so shocked!" Jackson smacked Mark on the shoulder, "I am a blast, don't know you. Wild n' Sexy, that's my nickname you know!"

Mark shook his head lightly, "You're crazy. Thanks for lunch. And thanks for making me apply at the coffee shop."

There was an awkward pause as Jackson nodded in agreement. Mark could feel himself wanting to say more, but he didn't. He secretly wished that he could just sit in that moment for a little while longer. 

"Uh, are you alright?" Jackson said, waving his hand in front of Mark. "You look like you really are a drug dealer. Or are on drugs, haha."

Mark snapped out of his moment, and laughed off Jackson's joke. _'Damn, how embarrassing'_ he thought to himself. "Alright, I have to go now. Thanks again!" he said said as he opened the door and darted into the building, not even turning back once to see Jackson waving at him. 

"See ya later, Bambi." Jackson said under his breath, and with a quick adjustment of his hat and a roll up of the passenger window, Jackson peeled out of the parking lot, smiling to himself in satisfaction of the day's events. 


	5. Remedies

> _ Yes hi, I'm calling for a Mr. Mark Tuan. This is Janelle calling. You had dropped off an application for employment with us at Remedy Cafe. I'm just looking over the forms now but I'm calling to let you know I'd be very interested in having you come down for a interview. I'd love the chance to get to meet you in person. How does Friday at 2pm sound at the cafe? Please call me if there's an issue with your schedule. I look forward to meeting you. *BEEP* _

 Mark was nervous as usual for his interview, he was pretty surprised they called him at all. He had little to no work experience and nothing more than a high school diploma under his belt. It just didn't add up, but Mark just left it in God's hands, and remained grateful that they called him back.

It had been a week since his last interaction with Jackson, and even though it didn't mean anything Mark was still a bit under the weather. He found himself constantly checking his iPhone for messages from Jackson. "ME & U" had become the most listened to song on his iTunes, and he sometimes found himself texting Jackson, only to quickly erase everything and put his phone away. What was happening to him? Firstly, he couldn't stand Jackson half the time, and the other half of the time he was either laughing at Jackson or Jackson was laughing at him. 

Mark laid on his couch, wrapped in a fuzzy brown blanket, going over his September timetable for school. He only had a month of summer left before school crept up on him and held his freedom ransom. 

_'Let's see, Psychology 104, Anatomy, English, Chemistry.'_ he flipped through the schedule. Nothing particularly interested him except for the English course. He enjoyed writing, it gave him peace of mind. Mark was a extremely intellectual boy, he had gotten straight A's in high school and had promises from his teacher that he'd become a doctor in the future. Mark always smiled and nodded, but never took those claims seriously. Nursing is where his heart was, there was more of a personal interaction with the patients he would have, and there wasn't the overwhelming responsibility when it came to things like death and talking to grieving families. Mark didn't do well under social pressure, and confrontation made him queasy. Nursing was something that he could do to help people as well as get to know them in the meantime. 

***

It was midnight, and Mark laid in bed, going over what he would say in his interview the following morning. Every once and a while his mind would trail off, and he'd think of Jackson. _'It's quiet, cute, and cozy... just like you.'_ Mark kept replaying what Jackson had said to him at the coffee shop. Was there even a hint of seriousness in that statement, or was he simply being... Jackson? In any case, Mark had a big day ahead of him. He flipped over once more and pulled his grey and blue duvet over his body, trapping in what little warmth he could from the chilly air around him. 

Just as he was dozing off, there was a flash on his phone followed by a small buzz: _'Jackson Wang has added you on SnapChat!"_

_'But how the hell did he find out my SnapChat username. Oh, my phone number."_ Mark's pulse quickened at the sight of Jackson's name.

Just then another buzz on the phone illuminated the dark room. It was a Snap from Jackson. The picture was completely black, with the words _"You awake?"_ written in the middle.

Before he could send a reply, another Snap came in instantly. It read _"I really need someone to talk to."_

Mark suddenly felt a pang of fear hit his chest. Immediately he began catastrophizing, thinking of the worst possible things that could be happening to Jackson. He picked up his phone and shot Jackson a text message. 

MARK TUAN (text)

_"Jackson, it's Mark. U can call me if u want. I'm awake."_

Within seconds Mark's phone started vibrating, Jackson was calling. Mark took a small gulp and slid the phone to accept.

"Hello..?" he said in a shaky and low voice.

"Mark, I'm really glad you're up." the voice on the other line said, "I didn't know who else to call. It's my dad, he's not doing so well."

"Where are you? Are you alright?" Mark responded quickly. 

"Yeah, I just spent the whole day with my dad at the hospital. They sent me home because I was there for so long, I needed to sleep." he said disappointed, "I wanted to stay but they are right. I'm wiped."

"Um, Jackson, if you don't mind telling me... What's wrong with him?" Mark stuttered.

There was a short pause before Jackson answered, which made Mark gather himself and sit up against his headboard, "They think he has prostate cancer." he finally said, "The doctors said that they found it early, so there's less of a risk to him. And apparently many men around his age range get this."

"Yes, totally. I've heard of people beating that type of cancer once they are able to find it early. There's a very big chance he'll be okay." Mark said, trying to sound as caring as he could. "Just... try not to worry alright. I know it's hard, but try okay, for me?"

"You really think he's going to be okay, Mark?" Jackson said, almost as if hanging onto every word Mark said.

"I believe it with my whole heart." Mark replied. 

"Mark?" Jackson said after another small pause.

"Yeah, man?" Mark answered attentively. 

"Thanks for answering. Means a lot." he said. Mark could hear the smile in his voice through the phone.

"Yeah, of course. I'm sorry you have to go through this alone." he said back to Jackson. "You're really brave."

Jackson interrupted Mark, "I'm not alone though, ya crazy. I have you."

Mark blushed a bit before answering with a giggle, "Yeah, you have me."

After a few more minutes of talking Mark was getting no replies from Jackson, and there was a faint sound of snoring on the other line. Mark figured out that Jackson fell asleep, and he set his phone down on speaker beside him so that he could be there if and when Jackson woke up. Moments later, Mark too fell asleep, his worries had vanished and there was nothing but warmth in his chest. 

***

Mark's alarm went off at 8am the next morning. He jolted up, scared of the sudden sound near his face. He couldn't remember why he chose the nuclear explosion sound to be his alarm. But he figured if it scared the life out of him, he'd at least be awake. After tip toeing towards the bathroom to avoid standing on the cold floorboards for too long, he put on his Big Bird slippers and began brushing his teeth. After he had rinsed his mouth out, he began making faces into the mirror. First he stuck a finger onto his nose to look like a pig, then moved his face mere inches from the mirror to examine them for any zits. Mark had an extremely clear face. There wasn't a dot or a scratch or a blemish in sight. He smiled calmly at himself in the mirror and began to flex his arms. After a few moments he scrunched his face up and started laughing, shaking his head in embarrassment. Mark was a slim boy, but his sports and active lifestyle kept him nice and toned. His arms were nice and hard, he had the subtle outline of a six pack, and his calves looked strong and lean.

Just as he was finishing up his morning routine, he remembered Jackson and the conversation they had before bed. His heart sank a little bit at the thought of Jackson being so upset, but he felt a calm wave of relief knowing that he did his best to help his friend out.

Before he could delve too far into his thoughts, there was a small knock at the door. 

"Who is it?!" he shouted from the bathroom.

"Bruiser and Krystal. We brought hot chocolate and gummy worms." Krystal shouted back, "They're part of a balanced breakfast you know!"

Mark laughed to himself and glided over to the door, letting his friend in. 

"So, what's on the agenda for you this morning mister?" Krystal said, kicking her feet up on Mark's sofa. 

"I have a job interview this early afternoon at that coffee shop, Remedy." He said to her putting a gummy worm in his mouth.

"Omigosh, get out!" Krystal said cheerfully, "I love that place. They have the  _best_ effing lattes I've ever had."

"Yeah I'm pumped for it." Mark said proudly.

"Wait... this means that you can like, get me free drinks and stuff, no?" Krystal's tone changed very quickly at the thought of free food and drinks.

"I mean, maybe not at first. I don't want to give them the wrong impression of me, but maybe eventually." Mark said popping another worm into his mouth.

"What are you going to wear?" she asked him. 

Mark shrugged, "I don't really know. I have a really cute cardigan I was gonna wear. It's red and is super comfy. I'm thinkin' stylish but not too formal."

"Loves it." Krystal said as she petted Bruiser's head, who looked like he was half asleep on the ground. 

***

Mark strolled down the street towards the coffee shop, the wind in his blonde hair made him feel like he was in a music video. His red cardigan hugged his slim body in all the right spots, making him look polished and highly employable, he thought.

_DING~_ The front door's bell rang as Mark huddled in from the wind outside. 

"Mark! You're early. I love early people." a voice said over the commotion, "Nessa, don't you love early people?" 

"Yup, love em'." another voice answered.

Mark strolled over to the front counter to the two ladies working, a nametag that read 'Nessa' was pinned to the shirt of a pretty, short, and exotic looking girl. She had a jet black, short angled bob haircut. Her nails were long and had French-tips, Mark could tell she was into her appearance. She had diamond earrings on, and her makeup was done impeccably. 

"Hi, I'm Vanessa, and this girl beside me is Janelle." she said, pointing her thumb behind her at Janelle. "She'll be doing your interview, but I'll sit in for the second half to get a feel for you too." she said as she began wiping down the counter with a wash cloth.

"Did you want anything to drink before we got started?" Janelle questioned Mark. "Drinks are free for interviewees." she smiled.

"No, just water is fine." Mark answered sheepishly. 

"Great, follow me." Janelle motioned for Mark to follow her.

The interview wasn't like any that Mark had gone through before, because Janelle and Nessa didn't seem to ask much about his experience or what his availablity was. They seemed to only be interested in the sorts of things friends ask. 

"So, what kind of music do you like, Mark?" Nessa said, bringing her head in closer and resting it on her fist, clearly intrigued. 

"I mostly listen to alternative rock, some top 40s pop, and a little bit of indie bands I guess." he answered. 

"I see... I see. Well, I am more than satisfied with how this interview went." Nessa giggled, "And that is the cutest cardigan I've ever seen."

"So, can you start on Monday? Say... 12pm to 6pm for training?" Janelle said with her face down, writing notes onto her clipboard. 

"Wow, yes. I can. Wow... thank you." Mark said smiling, "I'd love that."

"Great, see you then Mark." Janelle said shaking Mark's hand softly. 

"Great meeting you!" Nessa called over her shoulder on her way back to the front counter.

***

MARK TUAN (text)

_"I GOT THE JOB!!!"_

KRYSTAL JUNG (text)

_"SRSLY? Woohoo!  
I had no doubts, though."_

Mark speed walked home, playing one of his favorite songs in his headphones, "Happy" by Pharrell. When he got to the steel gate, he was greeted by Linda, who was sweeping out the parking lot sand. 

"Welcome home Marcus, no drugs this time I hope." Linda said hoarsely, adjusting her green visor.

"No, not today Linda. I'm high on life." he said back, smiling as he went up to his unit.

That night Mark slept like a baby, a well dressed, established, employed baby. 

 


	6. English Bay

 

 

> "Get on your knees right now." Jackson demanded, using his hands to push down on Mark's shoulders. Mark could hear the roar of people talking outside the room of the party they were at, but the music was so loud that it drowned out their words, Mark could only hear muffled voices all talking over each other. 
> 
> "I want you to suck me, Mark." Jackson said again, undoing his belt buckle. "You don't know how long I've waited for this."
> 
> The room they were in was small, and the only light was that of a small crack under the door that gave Mark just enough to make out the outline of Jackson's shirtless body. Although he could barely see Jackson, Mark could feel the heat from his body. He pressed his lips just under Jackson's belly button, kissing him gently while helping him undo his pants. 
> 
> "Ahh, yeah. Fuck, Mark." Jackson said with a shy moan just as Mark bit into his skin a little.
> 
> Mark was slowly making his way down Jackson's navel, making sure to savor every moment he could down there. The hair from Jackson's happy trail tickled at Mark's nose. Jackson's body was unlike any Mark had seen before. His rigid abs made Mark weak, and he felt as though he wanted to be as close to Jackson as he could.
> 
> "You want this dick, Mark?" Jackson said partly out of breath, "You want it?" Jackson grabbed onto his dick over his boxers and shook it a little in Mark's face, which only made Mark want it more. Even though Jackson was only semi-hard, Mark could tell that he was very well endowned. 
> 
> Jackson pulled his boxers down slowly, and his thick, semi hard dick flopped out in Mark's face. He grabbed the back of Mark's head gently, and motioned for Mark to take him into his mouth. 
> 
> Mark got a grip on Jackson, rubbing the dick over his nose and cheek, playfully licking the head every once and a while. Mark could taste Jackson's pre-cum, it was a warm salty taste, and Mark could tell that Jackson was more turned on than ever. 
> 
> "Yeah, just like that, babe. Don't stop." Jackson encouraged Mark. "I want you to taste me."
> 
> Mark began stroking Jackson, first slowly, and then he picked up the pace once he realized just how rock hard Jackson had got while in his mouth. After a few minutes of sucking Jackson, Mark could feel Jackson's body tense up and start to vibrate a little.
> 
> "Oh.. oh fuck.. I'm think I'm gonna cum-"

_BEEP BEEP BEEP~_ Mark's nuclear warning alarm clock blared. It was Saturday morning, and Mark had just had the first official sex dream of Jackson. It was written in stone now: Mark had an undeniable attraction towards Jackson, one that even his subconscious couldn't stifle. He slowly sat up in his bed, reaching down to check the wet feeling he had near his waist.  _'Aw, shit.'_ He thought to himself as he realized exactly what had happened. 

He slowly willed himself out of bed and awkwardly limped over to the bathroom, adjusting his boner on the way. He started the shower and took off his briefs, shaking his head as he thought over the dream he had just had. The details were foggy, and his short term memory was slowly filtering out the dream, but Mark was slightly aroused just at the thought of it. 

After his hot shower, he got dressed and headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Eggs, toast, avocados, and a glass of OJ. There was nothing on Mark's day planner to look forward to, so he thought he would catch up on all the shows he'd been meaning to watch on Netflix. He placed his white plate down that had his breakfast on it beside his laptop right next to his orange juice. His Big Bird slippers protected his soft feet from the cold ground. As he signed into his Netflix account there was a buzz on his phone.

JACKSON WANG (text)

_"It's so bee-you-ti-ful outside. Let's go swimming!"_

Mark squinted his eyes and stared around for a second, wondering how best to reply without sounding too... 'Mark.'

MARK TUAN (text)

_"Sure! I can meet you in an hour!"_

_'Shit, that was a fail.'_ he instantly thought as soon as he sent the text. 

JACKSON WANG (text)

_"Oh, dang. I like ur style. I'll pick u up in a bit :p"_

_***_

Mark was excited to be going swimming, he hadn't gone swimming since he was about ten years old. Which meant that he was about ten or so years overdue for some water fun. He grabbed a small Adidas backpack out of his closet door and stuffed some shampoo, soap, swimming trunks, and a towel into it. As he walked back from his bedroom, Mark caught a glance at himself in the mirror. He couldn't help but feel self-conscious. As he sat there, disappointed in front of the mirror, he actually considered wearing some sort of over-shirt into the pool. After a few more moments he dispelled that idea from his mind and threw the shirt back in the closet.  _'I don't have anybody to impress'_ he told himself, ' _If people have a problem with my body, that's their problem - not mine.'_

JACKSON WANG (Text)

_"Bambi, this is Captain Jackson Wang informing u that ur ride has arrived and is awaiting ur rendezvous, over."_

Mark rolled his eyes before responding.

MARK TUAN (text)

_"Ten-four rubber ducky, Bambi is en route, over."_

On his way out of the building he caught Krystal in the hallway doing her laundry. 

"Kris, I'm going swimming with Jackson! Just us two. Eeee!" he said frantically.

"Oh my god. You know what that means, it's a date!" Krystal responded while folding her sheets. "Take lots of pictures of him, I wanna see this heart throb you keep talking about!"

Mark had never even considered that this could be seen as a date - and as far as he was concerned, Jackson was straight and would never be caught dead 'dating' another guy. Krystal was just teasing, he thought. He and Jackson were just friends, and that's all that they would ever be. Besides, he had school to think about and his new job next week. There was no time for anything romantic. ' _Boyfriends only lead to heartbreak and distractions,'_  he told himself.

As Mark approached the jet black BMW, he could hear what sounded like The Black Eyed Peas blasting over the speakers, the bass pounding so loud Mark could hear it from inside the building.

"Jackson, are you seriously trying to get me murdered. Linda will decapitate me." he said as he plopped himself in the passenger's seat and tossed his bag into the back seat. 

"Aish, be careful, Tuan! That's where the magic happens~" he smirked at Mark, rubbing the leather of the back seat.

"Yeah, whatever. Just turn the music down, I can barely hear myself think." he told Jackson. 

***

After a twenty minute drive and what seemed like the entire 'Elephunk' album by BEP later, Jackson and Mark arrived at English Bay. There was hundreds of people all laying out on the white sand. Mark couldn't even count how many beach balls and umbrellas there was. The waves were fast, and as they collided with the sand they collapsed into bubbly foam. Seagulls called from overhead, diving down at whatever food people dropped.

"You ready for this, California?" Jackson asked unbuckling himself and heading to the trunk. 

"Ready as I'll ever be." Mark said back reaching for his backpack. 

"It'll be so nice to get some color on that white body of yours." Jackson retorted, "Specially since this is one of the only nice days we will have for the remainder of the summer." 

As Mark stepped out of the air conditioned SUV, he was immediately met with a physical wall of heat. There was not a cloud in the sky, so the sun beamed down, nearly blinding him. After that, he beat himself up internally for not remembering to bring sunglasses or sunscreen.

"Herrrreee ya go." Jackson whispered from behind Mark, "You need this more than me, Casper."

In that instant Jackson had placed his black Ray Bans over Mark's pale face. 

"Gee, thanks" Mark said sarcastically, trying to mask the fuzzy feelings that were pouring into his face.

"Find us a spot, and I'll meet you there with all of my stuff." Jackson said, unloading a duffel bag and a couple lawn chairs from his trunk.

Mark walked down the beach, the sand burning his feet through his sandals. He wondered how anybody could be happy melting in the sun all day. Even being from California, Mark did not frequent the beach or spend that much time there at all. The heat made him dizzy and the hoards of people made him even dizzier. As he looked down the shoreline, Mark almost couldn't see the start of the beach on one side or the end of the beach on the other. Boats honked in the distance, and Mark could see large steel tanker ships that he assumed were fisherman. He circled the area once more until finally deciding on a small empty patch of sand that was conveniently covered by a tree that offered a small amount of shade. Once he sat down and spread out his pink towel, he quickly realized the shade did little to nothing to fight off the heat.  _'Oh, great.'_ he whispered to himself.

"Ah this is a nice spot." Jackson shouted as he came down the beach from the parking lot. "Not too many people, nice choice."

"I figured I'd do my skin a favor and not opt in for melanoma my first month here." Mark said wittingly. 

"Um, what's that?" Jackson said, completely puzzled, as if Mark was speaking a different language. "I know you are like a healthcare professional and what not, but you need to use normal-people-talk around me, got it?"

"Easy Jackson, I'm not even in my first year of nursing yet, it's just a hobby of mine to read articles about health." he said, "And melanoma is a type of skin cancer. You can get it from the sun." he explained firmly.

"Yeah, well... let's get some hotdogs or something. I'm starving." Jackson said rubbing his stomach, "You can't get cancer from eating food right?"

"Well actually-" Mark stopped himself before digging the hole any deeper, "Uhh, no, you can't. Let's go then, I could eat."

***

Once Jackson and Mark had eaten their hotdogs and fries and changed into their bathing suits it was time for them to hit the water.

"Wow, lookin' good Bambi." Jackson said, whipping a towel in Mark's direction.

"Oh shutup, Jackson." Mark said covering himself up quickly. "Let's just get in the water."

There were large groups of kids in the water on what Mark assumed was some sort of summer camp field trip. They all had yellow fishing hats, and appeared to be around the ages of seven to ten. 

"I don't know about this," Mark said hesitantly, "Did you know that there are sharks in the Pacific ocean?"

"I don't really care about that, I'm more concerened that there aren't any wild Marks in this ocean. Now get in there!" Jackson said, scooping up Mark with ease, and shoving him into the waves. 

The water was shockingly warm, as Mark realized once he'd braced himself for ice cold water. It wasn't very bad, actually. Aside from the large gulp of water he took in that tasted like the salt gargles his dad made him take when he was sick.

"God, that's disgusting!" Mark said, spitting out the water four or fives times with a grimace. "Oh, you're gonna get it!!"

Mark lunged forward at Jackson, getting him in a headlock. He pulled Jackson's head down towards the water, but couldn't get it any further on account of Jackson resisting with only his neck muscles. ' _What, is this guy made of iron?'_ Mark thought to himself, using all his strength to submerge Jackson to no avail. 

"Awww, how cute." Jackson mocked, "Here, try this." Jackson grabbed Mark by the arm and instantly freed himself of the headlock, taking Mark by the waist and easily throwing Mark over his shoulder like a fireman.

"Hey, no fair!" Mark called out, his speech hoarse from the pressure on his stomach. "Put me down!"

"As you wish!" Jackson responded, laughing maniacally as he tossed Mark into the water with ease. 

***

"You know, I could've died." Mark said once they were dry and back on the beach towels a couple hours later.

"Don't worry, I'd never let anyone hurt you Bambi." Jackson said pouting and putting a finger on Mark's nose. 

"Ha ha, very funny. It's going to take me years to get the taste of salt out of my mouth." Mark complained, "And I hope this salt doesn't turn my blonde hair some weird swampy color."

"You'll be alright, Princess." Jackson said, taking a bite of his ice cream. "I guess I better get you home, eh?"

"Yeah I suppose..." Mark said, with a let down feeling in his stomach. As much as he complained to Jackson, he was really enjoying the time they were spending together.

"By the way... congratulations on your job." Jackson said quickly, licking the ice cream off his thumb.

"Wait... I never told you that I got hired at Remedy." Mark said, sitting up on his elbows and squinting at Jackson through the sun rays. 

"Nah, I'm sure you did sometime." Jackson said, deflecting.

"No, I really didn't. I would've remembered." Mark said, getting more curious. "Who told you that?"

"Fuck, I thought I was being sneaky." Jackson said, giving up his ruse. "My father owns the chain of Remedy cafes in Canada, my sister is Vanessa Wang, and I used my connections to get you a job there. I thought I'd do you a favor as my way of saying I'm sorry."

"Wow! That's why they hardly even cared about who I was in the interview, they were only asking me random questions about my favorite colors and what music I liked." Mark had a disappointed look on his face, and it was coming through in his voice, "I really honestly thought that I did that on my own. You mean to tell me that they just handed the position over to me because you told them to? Why would you even do that?"

"I guess I just felt sort of guilty for making you so embarrassed at Next Level that I wanted to do something nice. I knew if you agreed to meet me for lunch that I could take you to my family's cafe and score you a position."

"You lied to me, Jackson." Mark said sternly, "That was really backhanded of you."

"Jeez, I did you a favor, what's the big deal?!" Jackson couldn't believe his ears. Mark was actually upset that he got a job, almost as if jobs just grow on trees.

"I want to go home." Mark said as he started stuffing his bag. "Like right now."

"Okay okay, sheesh." Jackson said, helping Mark with his things.

***

The drive home was longer than the drive there, only because there was no sounds to fill the deafening silence. Jackson would look over every once and a while and see Mark staring off into the distance, completely oblivious to anything around him. His face was hard and mature, like he was in deep thought.

"I'm sorry, Mark. Honest." Jackson said, "I should've told you and I could've avoided all of this." 

"It's whatever, Jackson." Mark sighed, "I just want to get some sleep. I have a big day to prepare for at a job where they don't even care about my skills."

When they pulled up to The Ambassador, Mark had almost fallen asleep. 

"Yo, we're here." Jackson said, tapping Mark on the shoulder with a concerned look.

"Thanks for the ride. I... had fun. Talk to you another time." Mark said, looking towards the ground. "Bye."

Mark slammed the door behind him and disappeared into the building, leaving Jackson staring at his steering wheel wondering how this all happened.


	7. Retrospect

Mark mosied around his apartment, filling in the hours that passed with light naps and binge eating. He was halfway through a box of graham crackers when he heard Linda call from the hallway, "Marcus. Mail, you have." she said in a dull, Yoda-eqsue tone.

Mark bowed to Linda on the way out the door and went down the elevator to retrieve his mail. Stuffed into the small aluminum box was a care package from his father. The parcel contained $500.00 in cash, stuffed neatly into an envelope that read, _"Mark Tuna."_ Mark giggled as he read the misspelling of his name by his own father, as well as his dad's blatant hate for any sort of bank transfers or cheques.  _'Very old school, dad.'_ Mark thought to himself as he began packing the box up. As he went to close the hatch, another envelope fell out and onto the white tiles below. Mark knelt down to pick up a letter labeled, _'University of British Colombia.'_

Back in his apartment, Mark sat down at the table to examine the mysterious letter. Inside, he found a list of clubs that the university offered: Astrology Club, Anime Club, Debate Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Ski Club, Tennis Club, Mandarin Students United, the list went on. There must have been about forty or so clubs on the list.  _'How exhausting...'_ he muttered to himself as he flipped the paper over. On the backside there was a note written to Mark by the Dean of the school, which he assumed was a computer generated message sent to all new students. 

> _'I am pleased to welcome you to your upcoming year at UBC, and I look forward to meeting you in person. Attached you'll find a list of clubs and activities going on at the school. We know that it can be daunting to start your first year, especially if you've moved in on your own, away from your support network; however, you'll find that friends are just around the corner, all you have to do is look. Or, in this case, join their club. I hope you find something that sparks your interest. Enjoy!' - The Dean_

***

That Sunday afternoon Mark had invited Krystal over to watch a movie and make dinner. He figured he could use some of her energy, seeing as his had been sapped from the day before due to the falling out he had with Jackson. This would give him a chance to reflect on the day's events, and he knew that Krystal would take his side and make him feel a little better.

"YOU IDIOT. You did what?!" Krystal punched Mark in the arm. "How could you just throw a tantrum and ask him to take you home?"

"Well..." Mark began, rubbing his surely-to-bruise arm, "I felt so betrayed. It was as if Jackson was looking down at me as some sort of charity case. As if I needed to be saved, or taken care of. Well, I don't."

Krystal let out a gigantic eye roll, and Mark wasn't sure if her eyes would ever go back into her head normally. "You know, Mark. When someone does a favor for me, I say thank you." Krystal spoke very slowly and pointed, "I don't say 'Take me home.'"

This was entirely not the response Mark was hoping for, and he could feel the undeniable sting of guilt settle into his abdomen as Krystal went on.

"As if you can even afford to deny the kindness of others. You are new here, you need all the help you can get." Krystal continued, "And besides, I thought you liked Jackson? Why the sudden womp-womp?" Krystal's mood went from patronizing mother to pouting friend in the blink of an eye.

"I do. I mean, I don't. Well, I did." Mark twisted his speech, "I just. I don't know. I guess you're right."

"Uh... huh..." Krystal said with a smile, "Yeah, I tend to do that a lot. Trust me Mark, you know I love ya but I'm not going to spare you the truth in hopes of not hurting your feelings. It's tough love, babe."

Mark knew deep down that Krystal was just trying to help, but still, the thought of hurting Jackson and being so inconsiderate and ungrateful was absolutely wearing on him. It felt like his stomach was doing back flips in his body. 

"Listen, Krystal, I think we're going to have to cancel dinner and hangs, I suddenly feel really nauseous." he said with a hand placed on his stomach.

Krystal sighed and went over to put her arms around Mark, "Don't worry 'Tuna' I understand." she giggled.

Mark's eyes darted to the paper on the table. "That was my dad, he's crazy sometimes. Batty old man." he laughed.

On her way out Krystal picked the UBC letter up from the dining table. "What's this about? And how come I didn't get one?!" she gasped.

"Ah, that's just a list of clubs and activities. If you didn't get one then you probably aren't welcome to join any." Mark said, trying his best to hold in his laugh.

Krystal ignored the comment and scanned down the list, "Ooh! Gay and Straight Alliance. Puh-leaase tell me we're signing up for that." she begged.

"I hadn't planned on it." Mark said curiously, "What makes you want to join?"

"Well, I know I'm your best friend, but like, I would sound so good as your _'ally'_ as well. Dontcha think?" she giggled. 

'Eh, we'll save that for another day. I don't feel like making any big decisions today, I've already made enough bad ones." he groaned, showing Krystal to the door. "You can keep the list. I am not interested in it much anyway. Just pretend it was mailed to you and not me." he told her.

"Mark I swear to god if you do not join this GSA with me I will destroy you." she said, her eyes as cold as ice and her tone demonic. 

Mark stepped back a little, "Wow, Kris. Easy on the Satan voice. Yeah, sure, whatever I'll join."

"Kthanksbye!" Krystal's voice did a complete turn from Satan to Pikachu.

_'Crazy girl.'_ Mark said shaking his head as he closed the green door behind him.

***

Mark spent the remainder of the evening munching on the snacks his dad had sent him, and going over his interaction with Jackson, obsessed with the fact that he could be the one in the wrong. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, gently hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand. _'I better apologize to Jackson.'_ he thought,  _'I have to apologize if I want any sort of normalcy at work tomorrow for my first day.'_

Mark took his shirt off and threw it into a hamper in the corner of his room. He shut the grey blinds and the room suddenly became extremely gloomy, there was the faint tap of rain drops on the window. Mark took a glimpse out the blinds, there was clouds as big and dark as charcoal outside, blocking any sort of sunlight. Quick flashes of lightning sparked in the distance, and moments after the recognizable boom of thunder followed. Mark bent down and put his pajama pants on, then jumped into bed with a thud. He turned over to grab his iPhone and instantly opened SnapChat.  _'Guess I'll send him some silly faces and beg for his forgiveness.'_  Mark told himself, thinking of the kinds of poses he'd make. 

As he went to find Jackson's username (wildnsexyjacks) he couldn't help but notice there was a recent story entry. 20 minutes ago. Curious, Mark clicked on the story. Suddenly there was 72 seconds of videos, pictures, and selfies of Jackson's night playing before him. Mark did his best to follow the dark shaky videos and loud roaring of people yelling, mixed in with the blaring of music. It looked like Jackson was at a nightclub, judging by the laser lights and strobes. Mark felt a bit relieved that Jackson was at least enjoying himself, and even chuckled at Jackson's 10 second video dancing and singing into the phone.

Then, without warning, and like a kick to the stomach, Mark watched as Jackson screamed into the phone _"Sunday funday!!"_ before introducing a girl into the frame, to which he instantly kissed. She looked back at Jackson, closing her eyes and sticking her tongue into his mouth. Their kiss was ended by Jackson laughing, _"Feisty, I love it!"_

Mark dropped his phone so quickly you could've swore it broke landing on the pillow. His hands began to tremble, and the feeling in his chest could only be described as crushing. It felt as though a hundred pounds of weight had been dropped onto him, or that he was in an ocean, being swept under by huge waves. Before he could process any more of what was happening, his face became a hot mess of redness and his eyes filled with tears. Mark threw the massive blanket over his head, balling himself up into a pile of sheets and pillows, barricading himself in like some sort of mushroom. He thought that if he could disappear into the safety of his blankets, that the feelings wouldn't be able to get him. 

After three minutes of heavy breathing and a pounding heart, Mark began to feel like he had swallowed a golf ball. His eyes continued to get watery until there was just enough for a single tear to escape his duct. It rolled down the side of his pale cheek, hitting the sheet and instantly dissolving. Mark froze, released the tension from his hands, and surrendered himself to the feelings of general body chaos that was happening to him. Within seconds more tears followed, falling from his eyes like the raindrops that were still running down the window outside. Mark sunk deeper into jealousy, panicking every time he imagined Jackson's lips on the other girl. Minutes flew by into an hour, and Mark's thin body could hold out no longer, he slowly faded out, falling asleep while the trails of his tears dried like salty streaks on his cheeks. Physical reminders that yes, he cared about Jackson. A lot.

***

Mark considered calling into work sick in order to avoid any traces of Jackson's family or the inevitable interrogation of his bosses as to why his eyes were red and puffy. _'I could just lie and tell them I watched a sad movie last night.'_ he began plotting.  _'I better not. I just don't want to deal with any of it.'_ he quickly recovered. After putting two drops of Visine into his pupils to reduce the redness, he slipped his black Toms on and headed out the door.

Linda was busy standing on a ladder, replacing one of the burnt out lights in the lobby when Mark exited the elevator. 

"Whoa, Linda, do you need a hand?" Mark said, shocked at how high the ladder was and how small Linda was in comparison. 

"Oh hush!" Linda snapped back, still fidgeting with the fixture. "I'd get my nephew to help me, but he is still playing that darn video game. He's convinced that if he doesn't beat the level in time, he'll never survive in the real world." she yammered to herself. Mark was so confused, and tired from his emotional night that he didn't even entertain Linda's sentences with a response. 

The walk to work was fast, Mark had Avril Lavigne on repeat in his headphones, and he walked with the determination of someone that was running from something - or running to something. When he stepped up the stairs to the cafe, he was met with the familiar ring of the bell, which made his bosses look up from their coffee making.

"Mark, yay you're here. Early again, boy you're getting brownie points already." Janelle shouted. "No seriously, Jackson, get up from under there and get your friend a brownie."

Mark felt a cold wave rush through his fingertips and into his stomach. The feeling was like a thousand needles hitting him at once. Jackson groaned from under the counter, slowly standing up to see Mark. 

"Hi, Mark..." he said quietly. "Yeah, I'll grab that snack for you. Just a minute."

"It's really no problem" Mark quickly explained, before Jackson could move. "I'm not hungry. I had a big breakfast."

"Janelle why are you picking on me. You know I'm hung over. I just want to lay here and drink my water." Jackson grunted like a three year old.

Mark remembered that Jackson had gone out the night before, and in that instant knew that he was in for a very, very long first day at work. 

 


	8. Inhale - Pt. I

Mark's first day at work was both stressful and emotionally exhausting. It took all of his mental capability to be a respectable employee to his bosses while also ignoring the boss' brother. Jackson stuck around for a couple hours, sitting in the cafe's office, playing with his phone and sipping pitifully on his blue Gatorade. The bags under his eyes matched the beanie on his head - dark grey. He looked emotionally vacant, and Mark could only imagine how much he had drank the night before. 

Every time Mark would walk by with plates and cups on his way to the sink, he would peek into the office to secretly check on Jackson. A small part of him wanted to go in and rub Jackson's back, and offer to get him anything he needed; however, those thoughts were short lived. _'Why should I take care of him. Where's this ~Sunday Funday~ woman, and why can't she look after him?'_ he muttered to himself. 

Jackson left the cafe while Mark was using the restroom, which sort of disappointed Mark, but he at least had a clear head to focus on the last couple hours of his shift. The work wasn't hard, and Mark found himself settling in quickly. The customers were respectful, and Mark enjoyed having little talks with them as he made their drinks. 

"That was a good first day, Mark. I'm proud of you." Nessa said smiling at him, "Be here Wednesday same time for second day of training? We will email you an official schedule later today." 

"Sure, see you then!" Mark said, zipping up his sweater and heading for the door. _'This means I will have Tuesdays free for dance class,'_ he remembered.

*** 

Krystal was sitting outside her door bobbing her head along to her headphones when Mark returned home from work, with Bruiser chewing what looked like a plastic bone beside her. "How was day one?" she asked, looking up at Mark in a serious tone. 

"It was... Interesting." he slowly answered, "Jackson was there, so there's that. I'm still not talking to him, but he doesn't know it yet."

"Gawd you're worse than my twelve year old sister with her boy problems." she bugged. "You'll come around." 

Before Mark unlocked his door, he noticed a small bruise on Krystal's arm. As he knelt down to her level and lifted her sleeve, the bruise was revealed as much bigger than he first thought. It was nasty and green, with purple outlines, painting her pale arm like tye-dye. "Jesus, what happened to you?" he demanded. 

Krystal quickly pulled her sleeve down. "I went to the doctor's office for my Hep B shot today." she grumbled. "My skin is so sensitive I guess the needle made me bruise. It looks yucky, hey?" 

"Don't worry my skin does the same thing." Mark reassured. "Get some rest Kris. You look like you could use it."

*** 

The next day at dance practice Mark came in determined as ever to improve his skills. He had a white bandana draped across his forehead, which his blonde bangs nearly hid. He had white skinny jeans on, paired with an oversized striped shirt. The other students greeted him when he walked in, but his eyes instinctively darted around in a quick saccade for Jackson's face. When he didn't see the Hong Kong native, he felt a mixture of sadness and relief. 

Through the entire class Mark hit every beat, and executed every line that the choreography demanded. The instructor patted Mark on the shoulders, acknowledging his progress. Every time the song would end, Mark would take a swig of his water bottle and do a one-over, checking the door for signs of Jackson. As the class got nearer and nearer to the end, Mark abandoned hope of Jackson ever coming.

"Damn, you sure know your way around a dancefloor." a deep voice said from behind Mark. 

Mark turned his head to put a face to the voice, and standing before him was someone that he hadn't seen in the class before. "S-sorry, you are?" Mark stuttered leaning in to shake the boy's hand.

"Right. Sorry." the boy said, taking Mark's hand and shaking it quickly. "I'm Lee, but my friends all call me Ace."

Lee was about the exact same height as Mark, around 1.7m, he had long wavy ash blonde hair, with the sides shaved short. He had a red hoodie on, and Mark wondered how he wasn't sweating through it. 

"Aren't you hot in that thing, Lee?" Mark motioned his lips at the sweater. 

"It's only my first day, I guess I'm not prepared at all. I'm not really wearing anything under this." he said, looking down at his attire. "You know what, screw it. Nothing wrong with a little skin, right?" Lee ran towards the back where all the jackets and bags were and slowly removed his sweatshirt. 

Mark's eyes followed Lee as he brought the red sweater up over his body, slowly revealing one of the nicest bodies Mark had ever seen.  Time seemed to slow down in Mark's brain, and he found himself staring for an inordinate amount of time than socially acceptable, but he couldn't help himself. As Lee's sweater reached his chin area, it unveiled his toned biceps, they were meaty and firm, with dark brown armpit hair. Mark started to sweat a little, his eyes panning down the boy's body, examining every muscle on his eight-pack. 

Lee lightly jogged back to where Mark was standing, stretched his thick arms, and began bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

"Ah, there. Much better." he exclaimed, "I felt like I was gonna suffocate."

_'Oh my god, Laura... look, look.'_ a voice whispered behind the boys, as two females in the class murmured under their breaths, trying to be subtle but obviously ogling Lee's incredible pecs. Mark wondered whether he would be crushed on impact if Lee hugged him, the thought made Mark's dick twitch slightly under his pants.

_'Jeez, this is too much.'_ Mark thought to himself.  _'This guy looks like a model for Dolce and Gabbana, or Men's Health.'_

Lee took his spot in the lineup next to Mark, eagerly awaiting the next instructions from the teacher. 

"For our last drill I want everyone to practice what's called the Fresno, it's a basic hip hop step where you pop both your arms and legs from side to side" the dance instructor shouted. "Like this, follow along."

The room exploded in shoe squeaks and laughing as everyone followed along. Mark side glanced towards Lee who seemed to have no trouble finding his spot. Lee's chest hit the pop every second like his heart was about to jump through his skin. The rhythm was soothing to watch, and Mark found himself staring yet again at Lee. After a few moments Mark's face became beet red, and he started backing up into the crowd to avoid people noticing that he was getting slightly hard through his skinny jeans. 

"Good work today guys! See you all next week where we'll getting into contemporary styles." the instructor said, packing his things up.

Mark quickly sprinted to his bag and used it as a makeshift shield, holding it in front of is waist nonchalantly. 

"Whoa, where are you going so quickly?" Lee said, catching up to Mark. "Am I gonna be able to see you here next week?" he huffed.

"Yeah of course, I come every week." Mark answered. 

Lee gave Mark a charming eye smile and nodded, "Great, maybe next week we can be partners. You can teach me some moves?"

Why was this boy asking Mark for tips, when clearly he was the superior dancer out of the two? Was this some lame attempt at hinting to Mark he wanted to spend more time together? 

"Yeah, sure thing. See ya around." Mark said with a confused look on his face. With that, Mark turned and headed out the door. Not realizing that for the past hour, Jackson hadn't popped into his head once.

*** 

Confuse d, sore, and tired, Mark held onto his Adidas bag and sprinted up the steps into the apartment building. He almost ran square into an older looking Asian man who was carrying a box. "Whoa there, buddy." the elder man said, gripping his box tighter. 

"Ah, I'm really sorry!" Mark panted. "I didn't even see you. What's your name?"

"I'm David Fung. I'm Linda's only brother." he explained. "I came to help her with some heavy boxes." 

"Oh, I see. You must be Marcus' father then?" Mark pondered. 

David furrowed his eyebrows a little before answering, "I don't have any children." he stated, moving out of Mark's way and down the stairs. "Nice to meet ya kid."

Mark stood there for a minute, puzzled by what he just heard. He thought for a moment about how many times Linda had gone on and on about her nephew Marcus since he moved in, and things just didn't add up to him. _'It's probably a step nephew or an adopted nephew.'_ he told himself before heading into the elevator and up to his unit. 

***

Mark couldn't handle the creeping feelings of guilt and shame that seemed to always invade his mind once he was in bed alone. He sat up, turned on his nightstand lamp, and pulled his phone out. 

MARK TUAN (text) 

_ "Hey. How are u feeling? U looked so sick today."  _

A few minutes passed without a response from Jackson. Mark eventually laid back down, his back sore from sitting up. Laying on his side, staring at the black screen, Mark didn't realize that almost an hour went by without a text from Jackson. _'Wow, he's really going to ignore me? I wanted to apologize.'_ Mark thought to himself, clearly disappointed. 

He dropped his phone into the bedside drawer and slammed it shut, turning over in a pout. All he wanted was to have Jackson call him, or text him, or magically show up at his door. But as the minutes flew past, Mark slowly fell into a deep sleep, alone in his queen sized bed. 

Morning came quickly, and Mark felt like he had shut his eyes for mere moments, and seconds later was woken up by his alarm clock. His neck was stiff and his eyes gummy. He peacefully yawned and rubbed his left eye, instinctively reaching for his phone. He perked up once he saw Jackson's name on the lock screen. 

JACKSON WANG (text) 

_ "We really need to talk."  _

The message was cold and flat, and rubbed Mark in a way that worried him a bit. _'Nothing good ever came after those words,'_ he thought to himself.


	9. Exhale - Pt. II

Jackson closed his phone case and stuck his head into his pillow. He had sent the message to Mark so spur-of-the-moment that he really wasn't too sure of what he would say. ' _Hi Mark, my girlfriend thinks we spend to much time together and it makes her uncomfortable, so she wants me to stop hanging out with you.'_ Jackson huffed to himself sarcastically. He typed out a few draft paragraphs of what he was going to send to Mark before deleting them once he decided that he at least owed it to Mark to tell him everything in person.

Jackson woke up the next morning the same as he did for the last few days: coughing, aching, and sore. His flu like symptoms were only made worse by the night he went out and got drunk with Luna and her family. Jackson wanted nothing more than to turn the invite down and stay in, nursing himself back to health, but he knew that not only would his 'sickness' be unconvincing to the family, but that he would disappoint his father and disrespect Luna's. Every body knows that when a Korean family invites you for a night out drinking, you don't turn them away. 

Jackson was more concerned with how he looked in his father's eyes than in Luna's. Ever since the cancer scare, Jackson was under more and more pressure from his father to take over the family business as CEO of the company. The thought of bearing such responsibility at his age terrified the young man, scratching away at the back of his brain, causing him constant anxiety and keeping him up at night more than the sickness. All he had ever heard growing up was how spoiled and pampered he was, and people referred to him as "Daddy's Boy.' That really confused Jackson, because he had never asked to be born into wealth, or to have his father look after his every need. His father had migrated the family from Hong Kong to Canada after the death of his mother, and since then his father has managed to create a business for himself and propel the family into one of the richest in Vancouver. Jackson really respected his father, and even though he was tough, strict, and conservative, Jackson wanted nothing more than to make his father's days less stressful by being the son he deserves. That is part of the reason Jackson began dating the daughter of his father's business partner. That didn't bother Jackson much, because Luna was gorgeous - she had perfect soft skin, silky copper hair that fell to her shoulders, and a style that was unmatched by anyone in western Canada. They had only been dating for a couple of weeks, but Jackson could feel the pressure from his father to make a good and long lasting wife out of Luna. It would make the most fiscal sense, because Luna understood her father's company and would be a powerful ally for Jackson. The only problem; however, was how controlling and demanding Luna was becoming. She had ordered Jackson to limit his interactions with other girls, and the worst of all: terminate his friendship with Mark.

" _Mark is gay, and you're spending way too much time with him."_ she had told Jackson, " _I'm doing you a favor by telling you this. You know how your father feels about that lifestyle. He won't tolerate it."_

She was right, sadly. Jackson knew how his father would react, and as much as he hated the thought of ever breaking off his ties to Mark, he knew that in the long run it would be the best choice for both of them. Mark would be upset, but over time school would start and he would make new friends.

***

It was 9PM when Jackson picked up Mark from The Ambassador. Mark ran down the stairs gracefully, skipping every second step in anticipation. He had a baby blue sweater thrown over his shoulder, and a pair of tan jeans on that had a rip in the left knee. Jackson could hear Linda making snide remarks about him to Mark, and ushering warnings to be safe of the 'drug smuggler.' ' _Well, at least she cares about him, in her own twisted way.'_ Jackson said to himself, okay with being the bridge between Linda and Mark. Mark popped open the passenger door and slid in, putting the blue sweater on his legs and buckling himself in. 

"Before we go anywhere, I have to ask you something." Mark started, in a very concerned tone that worried Jackson, "Is your dad okay?"

Jackson felt the air rush back into his lungs as the relief set in, "Yeah, he's going to be just fine." he answered as he pulled out of the parking lot.

After pulling up to an empty park, Jackson shut off the engine to his car, instantly making the entire area pitch black and silent. A few drops of rain started to hit the windshield, followed by a blanket of rain moments later. The droplets pattered on the glass, filling the frigid atmosphere between Mark and Jackson.

"So, what did you want me to know Jacks?" Mark finally said without looking at Jackson.

Jackson let out a small sigh, not sure of how to begin. "Hey remember when we went to the beach and you almost drowned?" he joked, clearly deterring. 

"Stop it Jackson, just tell me. I'm getting worried." Mark said swiftly, making Jackson's smile disappear instantly.

"I'm not sure if you know this or not, but I have a girlfriend." he began, "She's my father's business partner's daughter. Her name is Luna. She's really pretty and I like her a lot." 

Mark could feel his stomach start to knot up at the sound of Jackson describing his like for Luna. He looked out the window in order to hide his feelings. "Go on.." he said quietly.

"Well, the thing is... she doesn't seem to agree with you and I being friends." Jackson stuttered. "She sorta kinda wants me to stop talking to you or even hang out with you."

"So all of this is your way of telling me you can't see me anymore?" Mark asked, scared of the answer.

"Basically, yeah. I guess it is." Jackson stated. 

"Wow. Alright." Mark quickly shot back, sitting back into his seat, staring blankly down at the sweater on his legs.

A few minutes went by as the two sat across from each other, pretending not to be as upset as they actually were. A flash of lightning filled the dark tinted SUV, illuminating Mark's face. Jackson could see in that second that there was a small tear coming from Mark's eye, a realization that made his heart sink. He had never, ever wanted to hurt Mark. Especially not on purpose. 

"J-Jackson?" Mark sniffled.

"Yeah, man?" Jackson said attentively.

"Please take me home." Jackson could hear the tears in Mark's voice. 

The interior of the car lit up and vibrated as Jackson started the car.  A quick flash of lightning revealed Mark, still sitting there fiddling with his sweater threads, looking as destroyed as ever.

The rain continued to pour, and Mark said nothing else to Jackson the entire drive home.


	10. Rebirth

A few weeks had passed since the rainy night that Jackson told Mark he couldn't be his friend anymore. Mark went through a series of denial and anger, constantly bombarding Jackson with phone calls and text messages to which received no response. The more Mark reached out to Jackson the more distance Jackson made between the two, going so far as to drop out of the dance class they were in together. After feeling shamed and hopeless, Mark gave into the realization that maybe he was going to live without Jackson after all. The thought created a heaviness on Mark's chest, which started to weigh down on him more when he thought about Jackson. There was nothing more he could do about the situation, so Mark decided to be his own best friend and move on. Somehow, some way he was going to move on.

School had started that week for Mark, a welcomed distraction from the sad and monotonous dark cloud that his life was becoming. Mark settled into his classes with ease, reading ahead and smothering himself in all the school work he could. On his off days when he was neither working nor studying, Mark liked to hang out with Krystal and Lee, who had started spending more time with the two ever since he joined the dance class.

"Wait up Mark!" Lee called as he scrambled to carry his textbooks, catching up to Mark slowly. 

"Those textbooks must weigh a ton!" Mark marveled, "How are you carrying all of them at once?" 

Lee let out a small flex of his arm, "I eat my spinach, silly boy."

"Right. I forgot you're basically Iron Man." Mark hummed. "What are all these books for anyway?"

"I'm pre-med remember? Which basically means all work no play, and then more work." he groaned, looking down at the pile of medical texts. 

"You're really one of the smartest people I know, Lee." Mark said, "I admire your determination."

"Wow, that's really sweet Mark. Thanks!" Lee chirped, blushing slightly at the compliment. 

School was something that Lee had gotten incredibly well ever since the start. He was captain of the debate team, as Mark learned, and was a shoo-in to be accepted into a top medical school after he graduates. Mark was only a first year, and Lee was finishing up his third, so he had no idea of the amount of work sitting before Lee, but was in awe at how effortless Lee made it seem.

"Are we still down for drinks later with Kris?" Lee interrupted Mark's reverie. 

"Of course. Come by my place at around 7. We'll all get ready together before hitting the club." he answered, smiling excitedly at Lee, who returned the smile and waved as he rushed to class.

***

 "Quit thinking about him, idiot. Or I'll make Bruiser eat your favorite Big Bird slippers." Krystal threatened, applying her mascara with pinpoint accuracy. She had gotten oddly good at sensing when Mark was trailing off into Jacksonland, and was quick to rescue him.

"You're right. Tonight is about you, me, and Lee breaking in the new school year." he said with a small head shake, "What was the name of this new gay bar you wanted to take us to?"

"It's called Celebrities. It's right on Davie Street," Krystal responded, now applying her eyeliner like a surgeon with a scalpel. "Because that's what we're going to be tonight Mark, celebrities."

Just as she was finishing up straightening her hair, there was a timid knock on Mark's door. Bruiser shot up in a panic, barking loudly at the visitor. 

"Shit, that must be Lee. How do I look Kris?!" Mark said, pacing around the room like an expecting father. 

"Calm down you look fierce, babe." she approved. "Why, tryna look good for Lee?" 

"I just... wanna make sure I look good." he lied.

Mark opened the door slowly, putting his best smirk forward before greeting Lee with a hug. Mark began to blush once he saw what Lee was wearing. His pants were leather and tight, putting his large thighs on display. He had a black, short sleeved button up shirt that looked like it was about to burst at the size of his arms. Even though he was being gentle, Mark could feel the raw strength of Lee when they hugged. The embrace lasted a moment longer than standard hugs, allowing Mark to fully bask in Lee's cologne. He looked like a celebrity, for sure, Mark thought. 

"Well aren't you the hottest bitch in this whole building?" Kris shrieked from the bathroom, "I take it back Mark. You look cute but Lee's on a whole different level."

"Thanks Kris, I love your outfit too. It's very sexy." Lee said politely, still getting used to hanging around with the loquacious girl. 

"Well, I'll get us some drinks." Mark chimed in, "Do you want Pinot or White Zin?" he called to Lee when he entered the kitchen.

"I'll have whatever your favorite is, Mark." Lee answered, taking his shoes off.

"Sorry Lee, that'd mean we would have to pour you into a glass and drink you, and we can't do that now can me?" Krystal teased as she giggled her way back into the bathroom to finish up her makeup.

Lee blushed as he sat on the grey futon, glancing around at the modern apartment. 

"I like your decorations man. Very minimalist." he yelled to Mark, who was balancing three wine glasses into the living room. 

"Thanks, that was totally the idea." Mark responded, sipping one of the glasses that was nearly overflowing. 

"Damn, those are some full glasses. One bottle for each of us?" Lee laughed, helping Mark by grabbing his glass.

"Heh, I figure we could all use a little bit of liquid love." Mark said back, "I want to make tonight special."

"Alright I'm here I'm here!" Kris called as she slid onto the love seat that Lee was on. "Let's drink."

"Cheers, guys. To being forever young, beautiful, and being friends." Krystal said, clinking her glass into Mark and Lee's.

The three drank for about an hour, laughing together while a mixture of EDM and hip-hop played loudly over the whole apartment. Lee was in the middle of showing Krystal a new dance move when she realized the time.

"Drink up my gays, we have a dance floor to hit." she proclaimed, slamming back her wine in one swift motion. 

The Uber drive into downtown Vancouver was quick, and Mark realized soon that he was becoming a bit buzzed. Krystal had snuck a flask into her bra which she was generously supplying to the two boys in the back of the car. 

"I've never been to a club before" Mark confessed as they pulled up to a large bricked theater looking building with a mixture of drag queens, young men, and lesbians all crowded outside. The pounding of the music was noticeable before Mark even left the car. He stared up at the neon lights in amazement, the sparkly words written out in cursive: C E L E B R I T I E S. 

"Quick you guys, I know the security guard, he'll let us cut the line and pay our cover for us." she beckoned, grabbing the two boys by the hand and dragging them through the crowd. 

At the entrance to the bar an older man approached the three. His shirt was off, revealing a slightly hair but muscular physique. There were droplets of sweat all around his forehead, as he pushed his way towards Lee. 

"Holy shit, you're hot." the man croaked, clearly drunk. "What I wouldn't do for a night with you. Care to dance?"

Mark felt his fist clench, and his cheeks get warm. 

"C'mon Lee, let's get our stamps." he said sharply, grabbing Lee by the hand and forcing himself between the two. "This is my boyfriend, so please leave us alone."

"No problems, man. Just let me know when you get bored of him." the man said, winking slyly at Lee, who looked like a frightened little boy in a bear cage.

"Thanks for that..." Lee said quietly, looking at Mark with gratitude once the man walked away.

"No worries. I don't want you getting kidnapped while we're here. We gotta look out for each other." he said back, holding his wrist out to get stamped.

Krystal was right, Celebrities was amazing. There were bubbles slowly falling from the raised ceiling, and Mark could see what he thought were trampolines with half naked men dancing on lined around the perimeter of the place. The music was loud, but it made the atmosphere more fun. Mark lined up at the bar with Krystal and Lee at his side, yelling drink orders to the bartender as if he'd been there a million times.

"Three sour jacks!" he shouted, holding his fingers up to the bartender, who was wearing a bow tie and not much else.

"Bottoms up boys!" the bartender said, slamming three shot glasses down and pouring them quickly. 

Mark distributed the shots to his friends and smiled as he screamed with pure joy, "Wooooo!" 

The three of them took the shots and slammed them back on the bar, their smiles quickly being replaced by looks of sheer disgust.

"God, what was that?!" Lee chortled. "Tasted like ALL sour, and NO jack." 

"I loved it." Krystal said, licking her finger. "Now, let's go dance!"

As the three made their way, weaving through the crowds of people on the dance floor, a familiar tune came over the speakers. "Me & You" began pumping into the dance floor. Mark suddenly froze up, looking over at Krystal with a distressed look on his face.

Kris caught the hint, and whispered quickly into Mark's ear, "New memories, remember. Let it go." As she finished whispering to Mark, she gave him a playful shove into Lee, who barely caught him, nearly taking them both down.

"Whoa!" Lee chuckled. "Let's go, cutie. Show me what you got." 

Lee placed his hands on Mark's hips, pulling him in closer and closer until the two boy's belt buckles were touching. Mark was taken by surprise at how sexy Lee was acting towards him. Mark felt a wave of inhibition leave his body, remembering what Krystal had said about moving on.

"Kiss me." Mark demanded, staring directly at Lee with a serious look on his face.

Without saying anything back, and almost as if he'd been waiting, Lee pushed his face forward, meeting Mark's lips in a small kiss. 

"No, like this." Mark said as he grabbed Lee's face. Just then Mark put his arms around Lee's neck, brushing his lips against the other boy's slowly, patiently waiting for Lee to let his tongue in. The kiss was slow at first, but became more aggressive as Lee began to grind his hips into Mark's. The friction between the boy's pants was becoming more and more intense. Lee relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes, completely enthralled by the kiss. He scooped Mark up effortlessly, allowing the younger boy to wrap his legs around him, straddling him while they kissed. Mark found himself getting aroused, the unexpected lift proving again just how strong Lee was. Once the song ended, Krystal appeared again with a boy of her own.

"Look, I found a hot, straight man amidst all these gays. What are the chances?!" she shouted over the music. "You are straight, right?" she doubled checked, looking over at the man. He nodded once, she smiled.

"Krystal this place is amazing!" Mark yelled back, not realizing that he was still holding Lee's waist. 

"Yeah, it really brings out the best in people." she said back, looking towards Mark's hand placement. 

"We got a little carried away. I think it's the sour jack coming out." Mark said back, quickly removing his hand.

"In that case, I'll go and get us another round." she said as she turned and dragged her man friend behind her to the bar.

Mark and Lee found a plastic ottoman to sit at, recovering from their steamy grind session. Lee smiled to himself as he sat down next to Mark.

"Man, that was fun." Lee said awkwardly. "I don't know what came over me." 

"I know, right? I can't remember the last time I had that much fun." Mark said back, pushing a flashback of his time at the beach with Jackson out of his mind.

Hours went by and it was almost closing time. Mark and Lee had danced a few more times together, sharing playful kisses and sexual thrusting. Krystal was carrying her six inch heels, kissing the man friend in the corner. 

"We should head back to my place soon." Mark said in between a kiss with Lee. "Krystal needs to sleep or she'll transform into a werewolf and eat that poor dude."

"Yeah, let's get out of here." Lee said back, fixated on Mark's soft lips.

Lee grabbed Krystal by the waist and flung her over his shoulder, to which she giggled in response, waving at the man friend like a damsel in distress. Outside, the crowd had only gotten bigger and more rowdy, with everyone smoking their cigarettes and flagging down cabs.

"C'mon, I already requested an Uber. It's across the street." Mark called out to the two. They j-walked across the intersection and slipped into the car like actual celebrities that were being chased down by paparazzi.

In the back seat Krystal was propped up against the window, where she ultimately fell asleep. Mark was sighing and rubbing her back, laughing lightly to himself. After a few minutes of silence Lee spoke up.

"I had a really, really good time tonight," he said, inching his hand closer to Mark's. His fingers stroked Mark's palm, surprising the younger. Lee then interlocked his hand with Mark's, squeezing gently once their fingers rested in the spaces. Mark turned to face Lee, a large stupid smile on his face. 

"I had a good time too." he beamed, slowly picking his hand up to his face, placing a small kiss on the hand he was holding. Lee moved his shoulder over a few inches, allowing Mark to rest his head against it. The car bounced along the highway, with Krystal snoring lightly against the window. Mark nestled his head a few times into the strong shoulder under him, realizing that the pain in his chest had subsided all night.

 


	11. Escalation

"Make sure you guys are keeping up with the readings. Your first midterm exam is going to be next week on Thursday. Be prepared, I don't want anyone coming to me days before the exam scared and making excuses. You all know my office hours, I'm here to help you." Mark's professor yelled as the students left the classroom.

Mark packed his books into his leather studded backpack, slinging it over his shoulder as he followed the students out into the hallway. He was starting to get nervous about his first midterm. Although he was studying at least two hours each day, he couldn't help but feel like this exam was an indicator of how the rest of his semester was going to go. Outside in the hallway, Lee was sitting cross legged next to the door, his face lighting up at the sight of Mark. 

"Long day?" Lee said, patting Mark on the shoulder, concerned about the exhausted look on his friend's face.

"Just stressed about this exam is all. I really need to do well. I want to prove I can do it." Mark said, rubbing his head lovingly into Lee's hand. 

The space between Lee and Mark seemed to become more and more friendly since the night they kissed at the bar. Mark was unsure of what exactly they  _were,_ but he decided to just let it play out naturally, content with being good friends with Lee; friends who kissed occasionally. 

"Tonight I'm gonna visit you at work, and bring you a nice box of tea and some biscuits my mom used to give me that she called 'brain food' when I needed to study." Lee decided, smiling at Mark.

"Oh right, I work today!" Mark said, ignoring Lee's sentiment. "I totally forgot!" Mark hugged Lee and disappeared down the hallway, walking like a madman.

"Yeah... goodbye to you to." Lee mumbled, confused as ever.

***

"It's not like you to be late, Marky." Janelle said when Mark finally came gliding through the door. "I almost sent Jackson to go out looking for you."

"Wait, Jackson's here?!" Mark stuttered, out of breath from the sprint there.

"No, not at the moment. He might stop by later though, I need him to sign off on some shipments that we received, since his father and sister are out of town." she said, skeptically, "Why are you two like, fighting or something?"

"No. Of course not. I was just wondering." Mark said quickly, trying to change the subject. "Hey is it okay if I get off an hour or so earlier today? I really want to study for this exam next week. I'm swamped."

"Yeah sure. Show up late, leave early. Why don't I just leave too and nobody will run the shop." Janelle mocked. "I'm kidding! Of course you can. School is important. I'll cover you for an hour."

"Thanks Janelle." Mark said, putting his apron on. 

Three hours into his shift, Mark heard the familiar boom of bass from the parking lot. He braced himself to see Jackson, quickly looking into the reflection on the microwave to fix his hair; however, Jackson was not alone. Clinging to him like a life raft, Luna strutted in her heels, her orange hair bouncing at ever step. She looked like a haute coture model walking the runway. Jackson was wearing a dark black leather jacket and sunglasses, Mark couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy seeing the two of them together in person. They looked like rock stars, he thought.

Jackson was laughing at something Luna said when they finally entered the cafe. His delight was short lived though, as Mark came out from the back carrying a cup. Jackson's face went pale and blank.

"M-Mark. I didn't expect to see you here." Jackson muttered.

"Where, at my place of employment?" Mark snapped back. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Hi there, Mark." Luna chirped with a playful wave. "Jackson has said lots about you."

Mark wanted to roll his eyes so hard into the back of his head, but he held back. There was no sense in causing problems for himself. He was stressed enough. Instead of being facetious and difficult, Mark smiled back at Luna and waved. He could almost feel the tension in the air as he turned and walked back to the kitchen, he was almost there when he heard Luna call back at him.

"Mark! Be a doll and get me a triple-skinny-venti-extra hot-no foam-caramel machhiato with whip, would you?" she shot off to him. 

"Yeah, course." Mark yelled back. _'Who the fuck orders a non fat drink and then adds whip on it? God, she's so pretentious.'_ he grumbled to himself.

Once the drink was complete, Mark headed back towards the couple, balancing the cup steadily. As he went to put the drink down another ding at the door caught his attention. He peered over to see Lee walking through the door, looking around like a lost puppy. Mark instantly felt a bit of relief. Lee would be able to buffer the atmosphere for him, and help make his last hour semi-enjoyable.

"Thanks hun." Luna said in a very pointed tone, almost as if she was disgusted by the drink. Mark didn't answer, as he was quickly heading over to see his friend.

"Lee you're a sight for sore eyes." Mark said, giving the boy a side hug.

"I'm happy to hear that. I brought you that stuff I told you about earlier, before you ditched me." Lee chuckled. 

"Sorry about that." Mark said quietly, putting his head down. "I was worried about work and school and Jack- you know what it's nothing. Come, sit."

"Wait, Jackson? As in... that guy right over there?" Lee said, motioning towards where Luna and Jackson were seated. "I saw his picture on the dance sheet signup, but I've never seen him in there yet."

"Yeah, he quit. Don't worry it's nothing. Let's go." Mark said to Lee, pulling him into the back room.

Lee unloaded his backpack, pulling out an assortment of herbal teas and what smelled like the best biscuits he'd ever been graced with. 

"So you two are friends, then?" Lee said, ripping off a chunk of bread, handing it towards Mark. 

"Eh, we used to be. Not so much anymore. He's sorta preoccupied with his girlfriend. It's okay, though. It's better this way." Lee could see the pain in Mark's face as he spoke. 

"So he just refuses to hang out with you because of her? Doesn't sound like a friend to me." Lee snapped.

"You don't know, so just please stay out of it." Mark quickly shut down Lee.

"Why are you defending him?" Lee questioned, putting the tea down, his concern now growing.

"Look, don't worry about it. I'm stressed, you know that." Mark said, resting his forehead against Lee's hard chest.

Lee used a finger to lift Mark's face up from his chin, looking into his eyes understandingly. He placed a small kiss onto Mark's cheek, which made the blonde boy close his eyes and smile.

"If you say it's nothing, I believe you." Lee said, wrapping his arms around Mark's smaller body. 

As they were hugging, Jackson stepped through the doorway to the office. He paused for a second, looked at the two boys embracing, then raised an eyebrow.

"Whoa, didn't mean to disturb anything going on back here. Just looking for Janelle. Mark, can I talk to you for a second?" he hissed.

Jackson kept a firm stare on Lee as he reached for Mark's hand, looking seriously annoyed before leading Mark out into the cafe.

"Mark please tell me who that is and why he's back there." Jackson demanded, the same stare now directed at Mark.

Mark backed up a little, inching away from the irate Jackson. "What, why should I have to explain anything to you. As far as I'm concerned you don't even consider me a friend anymore." he scoffed.

Jackson was silent for a second, knowing that he didn't really have a good reason to be upset about Mark's new friend.

"I don't want anybody back there in the office. Employees only." he decided on the spot. "So tell your friend to come out from there."

Mark could feel the anger pulsing in his face, wondering why Jackson was acting so rude to him.

"Fine, whatever. He'll leave." Mark asserted. "Babe!" he called back into the office, "Come wait at the front bar for me."

Lee was confused at the nickname, but did as Mark had told him. Blushing to himself as he came out of the office with his things. As he walked past Jackson and Mark, he planted another kiss on Mark's cheek. Mark jumped at the opportunity to kiss Lee, moving his face over quickly to kiss the boy on the lips. The kiss lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an hour with Jackson standing beside them, studying the two boys as if they were being interrogated.

"You done?" Jackson barked. "I told you to get him out of there."

"Wait what? I'm sorry are you talking about me?" Lee questioned, unhanding Mark and leaning away from the kiss towards Jackson. "Do you have a problem with me or something man?" Lee took two steps towards Jackson, his chest getting bigger and bigger with each movement.

"Easy, Hulk." Jackson said in a serious tone. "You know what? This isn't even worth it." he quickly grabbed his leather jacket and headed towards the front area.

"Jackson, are we leaving?!" Luna said, sipping her drink.

Jackson didn't even spare a glance towards his girlfriend, much less answer her question, he was headed right for the door.

"Tell Janelle I'll sign the papers tomorrow. Let's go Luna." he yelled, swinging the door open, nearly knocking it off its hinges.

Mark stood blankly, watching Jackson leave the building. He didn't even have a clue why he kissed Lee in front of Jackson, and why he called him 'babe.' Mark was suddenly overcome with shame, seeing his petty plan executed perfectly and Jackson's intense reaction. 

***

Mark closed his apartment door slowly, not bothering to turn on the lights. He wanted to be completely alone in the dark with his thoughts. The day had really tested him mentally, he was still unsure of what exactly occurred at the cafe. 

He undid his pants, sliding them off and putting on a fresh pair of sweats. The tea that Lee had brought him was bubbling in a pot on the stove. Mark curled up on the sofa like a small cat, pulling his phone out to do his daily social media chores. He opened Instagram, scrolling through mindlessly like he usually did, laughing to himself here and there at pictures of Krystal and Bruiser, liking the posts that were spamming his news feed. Suddenly he came to a dark and moody looking selfie. It was Jackson, he had a pained look on his face, and his hat wasn't on, revealing a disheveled and rugged head of hair. The picture was in a black and white filter with the caption: _'How can you go on without someone that you can't go one day without thinking about? Fuck it, do you, I'll do me.'_

Mark read the caption in Jackson's voice to himself, and it was almost as if the words were spoken directly to him. Mark knew it was vain to assume that the post could be about him, but he wanted so badly for it to be. He wanted so badly for his thing with Lee to eat away at Jackson, that would mean that there was a part of him somewhere deep down that wanted to be with Mark.

_EEEEEEEEEEE~_ the kettle screeched from the kitchen, interrupting Mark's thoughts. As he poured a small cup of peppermint, he found himself thinking about Lee. He knew he liked Lee. There was no question about it. The way he taught Mark new things every time they were together, the way he was always such a gentleman, pulling the chairs out for him, piggybacking him when he was tired, and now bringing tea and biscuits over to help him prepare for his exam. He felt so safe when they were together. Lee was the whole package, it seemed, many people dreamed of a doctor-to-be with ripped abs and killer style but they were few and far between. Mark now had that guy with him, and it seemed as though he had hit the jackpot, but for some reason the feeling of being let down still managed to creep into Mark's heart. When he wasn't with Lee, he was thinking about Jackson, and his badboy image, cracking jokes at Mark's expense. And even when he was with Lee, he found himself daydreaming about Jackson's lips and how they would taste pressed against his own. 

Mark sipped his tea, letting out a massive sigh. He was truly exhausted. _'A quick nap wouldn't hurt, I'll wake up in a bit fresh and ready to study'_ he told himself, whisking himself away to his room. As he laid down on his pillow, he pulled his phone out. The picture of Jackson's Instagram post was still up on the screen, Mark stared at it pitifully for a few minutes before closing his eyes, a single tear tumbled down his cheek as he kissed the glass screen. 

"Jacks... I'm so, so sorry." he said in a voice that was almost too quiet to hear. 


	12. Game Over

"Let's see, there's the tibia, the fibula, the femur, the tarsal, the metatarsals, oh and the sacroiliac joint." Mark said looking up at the ceiling. Krystal was flipping through the flash cards smiling. 

"Yeah, and what are three types of diuretics used to decrease blood volume and lower blood pressure?" she quizzed. 

"Oh jeez." Mark looked puzzled. "I'm gonna fail. I swear. Let's see... thiazides, potassium-sparing, and loop diuretics?" he said with a grimace, expecting the worst.

"Right, right, and... right!" Krystal chimed. "Holy crap monkey, you're effing smart. What are you even worrying about?"

"Because I know myself, Kris. Even though I get them all right out here, in the exam I turn into a whole other person." he huffed, grabbing the stack of perfectly written and color coded flashcards from her. "Anyway, thanks again for your help. I'm gonna go for a run to clear my head and hope that these things stick before my exam tomorrow."

As Krystal picked Bruiser up from the ground she gave Mark a loving pat on the back, "You're going to be okay. Studying is the opposite of hoping, after all. You're doing everything you need to in order to succeed." She walked out of the apartment closing the green door behind her.

Mark let out a deep sigh and collapsed onto his sofa, the agony of the midterm hovering over his conscience. After laying there like a sloth for a few minutes he picked himself up slowly and put his orange runners on. _'Alright, Gaga, work your magic.'_ he said to himself as he went to grab his iPhone. He decided that he needed a little bit of the queen of pop to lift his spirits. When he looked at his phone he noticed a text from Lee.

LEE GIKWANG (text)

_ "Just finished my workout, I'm nearby. If u aren't still studying, can I stop in and see my favorite boy?" _

MARK TUAN (text)

_ "I am just leaving for a run, I'll meet you in the lobby. :P" _

Mark strolled out to the elevator, bobbing his head back and forth to "Poker Face." When he reached the lobby he was confused at the amount of people crowded around. The music drowned out the shouting, but he could make out the distressed looks on the people's faces. A lady was kneeled over, waving her hands frantically and shouting at another woman. There was a man yelling into his cell phone near the women, his hands pointing towards the ground. Confused, Mark sauntered over to the people, taking his headphones out to absorb all the commotion.

"What's going on?" Mark said puzzled, to the lady that was on her one knee. Just then he realized that she was helping another person. Behind a large trash can was Linda, laying on the ground shaking violently from every inch of her body. Mark made an audible gasp when he recognized the small woman.

"She's been like this for a few minutes. We're waiting for the ambulance right now. Jeez, I wish they'd hurry!" the lady screamed.

Mark had never seen someone seizing before, so he was stunned for a moment, taking it all in. He knew that if he was going to be a nurse he'd need to get used to this stuff, but because it was Linda on the ground, vibrating constantly with eyes rolling back into her skull, the blonde was frightened. He knelt down beside the small woman, holding her hand while she shook, the scared look never leaving his face.

"Oh my god, what happened?!" a sweaty Lee said entering the front door of the building, jogging over when he noticed the crowd. 

"She's having a seizure, Lee. I don't know what to do!" Mark said helplessly. 

"Has someone called the ambulance?" he said calmly. Mark nodded once. "Okay, well that's good. All we have to do is wait for now. Unless..." Lee said, feeling around his pockets. 

Mark wasn't sure what Lee was looking for, but he trusted the boy.

"Here, let's give her this." he said, pulling a small bottle of medication out of his coat pocket. "This is lorazepam, it should help her."

Mark remembered Lee's medical training, and allowed him to put the pill into Linda's mouth. After a few seconds of wrestling, Lee was able to pop the pill into Linda's throat, using his water bottle to wash it down, forcing the tiny woman to swallow while she was shaking. The crowd that was gathered watched in awe as Lee monitored Linda.

Sirens came from the distance, and Mark could hear the ambulance getting close. As they pulled up, two EMTs rushed into the building from the parking lot as another one prepared a stretcher. 

"Where is the seizing woman?" one of the EMTs asked frantically to Lee. 

"She's right here, but she doesn't appear to be seizing anymore." Lee said, proud of his work. "I administered a benzodiazepine to help with the attack, and moved her onto her side to avoid her throwing up on herself and choking."

"Good work. Are you some sort of off the clock doctor?" they questioned Lee.

"No, I'm just a student. But I felt it was the right thing to do." he answered, scared that he may have offended the professionals.

"Well, we will still have to take her in to cover our bases and see if there was any brain damage. But, good thinking on your feet." one of the men said, preparing to wheel Linda away.

"I want to go with her!" Mark shouted suddenly. 

"Are you her son?" the man asked Mark, fitting a neck brace onto Linda.

"Well... no. I mean, I'm not. But she really should have someone she knows and trusts when she wakes up." Mark argued.

The EMTs gave each other a conflicted look before caving to the boy's request, "Sure, hop in the back then. Let's go."

"I'll meet you at the hospital Mark." Lee declared, giving Mark a small peck on the forehead before he ran out.

***

"Well, I have good news and bad news." an elder white man said to Mark, who was sitting patiently for hours in the hospital waiting room. "Your mother is going to be alright. But we still aren't 100% sure what is wrong with her."

"Oh, she's not my mom." Mark smiled, "I'm just a boy who lives in her building."

"Marcus, right?" the doctor questioned.

"Mark." replied the boy softly.

"Well, she keeps going on about a Mark or Marcus. I assumed that's you. She mentioned you many times once she woke up." the doctor continued, "Which is curious, considering an extensive medical history revealed that she miscarried in 1994 to a son by that same name."

Mark couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was the same year he was born. 

"Are you certain?" he asked the labcoat, still trying to process the news.

"Yes, she has been in and out of the hospital ever since, displaying a plethora of symptoms. Most of them neurological. We're not positive, but we're convinced she's borderline schizophrenic. She's been having psychotic breaks off and on since she lost the baby. Recently, we've discovered a new pattern that came about a couple of months ago, in August." the doctor said as he sat down beside Mark and crossed his arms. "She's been talking about her and Marcus playing some sort of video game. We think she's created a metaphor for her own condition. She is also a cancer survivor, if you weren't aware. She went into remission about a few years ago, but it's been an ongoing struggle for us here at the hospital. Your 'mom' is a fighter, but this sickness may just be knocking her off her last legs."

Mark's eyes were getting wider and wider as the doctor spoke. Why hadn't he known any of this? He knew that he and Linda were not extremely close, but they had been slowly getting more connected and loving towards each other over the past little bit, so this news was not only shocking, but terrifying to Mark.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mark asked with hope in his voice.

"The seizures are not a good sign, I'm afraid. We're doing all we can. I think it's best if you go in and see her. We think it's important to address her hallucinations and not take anything lightly, there could be clues to her condition if we can just get you to help out by entertaining her mind." the doctor said, gesturing towards the hospital room.

Mark nodded lightly and followed the older man, shuffling his feet nervously behind him, unsure of what he was getting himself into. When they entered the room, Mark was overcome with the smell of sterile, bland, boring hospital scents. There was a faint beeping as the heart monitor was working away, Mark did a quick scan of the bedside, overwhelmed with the amount of machines that were keeping Linda alive, monitoring her vitals and helping her to breath. Mark's heart sunk a little at the sight of Linda, she was looking extra pitiful than she had ever looked before. He was so used to seeing her strong, hard, and tough around the building working, climbing ladders and hammering nails. He hadn't realized until that minute that maybe, just maybe it was all just a brave face.

"Hey, you." Mark said, resting his hand on Linda's leg over the pink hospital blanket. "The doctor told me he has a crush on you." he teased.

After a few moments of silent but labored breathing, Linda moved her breathing mask to the side of her face and sputtered out, "He not my type. Too white. Too old." 

Mark smiled into a small laugh, his eyes becoming slightly wet. "I'm so happy you're okay." he told her, continuing to rub her feet.

"It take more than cancer to take me down." Linda reassured. "Figures it would take seizure in order for me to dance better than you."

Mark pulled up a chair to sit beside Linda's bed and laughed. The doctor came in a while later informing them that visiting hours were now over, but he would allow Mark to spend the night if he really wanted to. Mark agreed to stay longer, but let Linda know he could only stay for a couple more hours, as he had to get rest for a big exam the next day. Lee showed up shortly after, finding the correct room through the hospital admin staff. He showed up with a bouquet of roses, which he placed neatly against the window.

"Now  _he_ my type." Linda croaked, examining Lee's silhouette as he walked into the room. 

"Linda, this is my... friend, Lee." Mark chuckled. 

"You scared us back there, my dear." Lee said, touching Linda's weak hands as a greeting. 

Just then Mark remembered Lee's brave intervention in action. 

"Yeah, it's a good thing you showed up." Mark said, his voice becoming slower near the end of the statement. "But what were you doing with anti-anxiety drugs in your pocket anyway?" he said, now looking up at Lee from the chair.

"Oh, I was doing an analysis of them for a pharmaceuticals course I'm in." Lee retorted. "Turns out they  _do_ work as intended."

Mark nodded silently, not completely convinced. He and Lee began reading to Linda after that, reciting their favorite stories from their childhood. Every once and a while Linda would speak Cantonese, so that only her and Mark could understand while she cracked jokes about the buff Korean boy. Mark was asleep by the time Lee was nearly through his recount of the legend of bumble bees that his parents had told him.

"I'll take this sleepy head home now." Lee said, rubbing the hair out of the unconscious Mark's face.

Linda was now pressing her eyebrows together, giving Lee a look of death since Mark was asleep. 

"Be careful. I may be in hospital but there's two beds in this room. One of them has your name on it." she hissed at Lee. "You be nice to him. He good boy." 

Lee had a worried look on his face, but he forgave Linda for her rudeness once he realized where it was coming from. "Yes, of course." he answered her, hesitantly. "I care about him more than you could imagine."

"No drugs." Linda simply said back, looking away from him. "No drugs. Or I know."

Lee easily lifted Mark into a cradle, like a baby. He walked towards the door and then stopped at the frame. 

"Sure. No drugs then, whatever you say." Lee said back with a smirk, carrying Mark out of the room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_ Author's note: Quick heads up!  
I am nursing student as well, and I definitely don't want to promote unsafe practices when dealing with seizures to any of the readers. This is just a fictitious event and something I had to slip into the story as a bit of a segway. Best thing to do is to not try to wrestle them down or try to control their bodies. Inform the appropriate medical authorities immediately. Do not under any circumstances try to put anything into a seizing person's mouth. I appreciate the continued support :) _


	13. For The First Time

"So you only got one answer incorrect?" Lee gasped as Mark retold the story for the third time. 

"Yeah, and the only reason I got it wrong was because I had a brain fart and mixed up mitosis and meiosis." Mark said disappointingly. 

The two boys walked down the shady sidewalk, crunching the leaves under their boots that were now falling more and more as October approached. The sky was painted a dark grey color, with sunlight barely able to find it's way to the earth behind all of it. A cool breeze had Mark pulling his zipper up and shivering a little. 

"I know, we'll celebrate tonight. For your near perfect mark." Lee began, "Come over to my place after work. I'll have a nice dinner waiting for you."

Mark's side smile slowly came through as he stared at Lee. "Sounds perfect." he said, clearing his schedule mentally in anticipation.

"Great. I'll see you then. I can hardly wait." Lee said in a devious tone, closing the space between them. He slid his hands under Mark's coat and wrap his arms around the boy's bare waist. 

"Ugh, that's so cold." Mark winced, laughing and shivering at the same time.

"Oh don't you worry, I'll make sure it's nothing but hot tonight. Just for you." Lee whispered, breathing lightly over Mark's neck and ear. He gave Mark a slow and warm kiss on the neck, and ended it with a small nibble. "See you tonight." he sighed, turning away and walking the opposite direction down the long sidewalk.

Mark stood there alone, the wind biting at his fingertips as he watched Lee walk away. _'Damn...'_ he said silently to himself.

At work Mark was doing his best to keep his hands and mind busy, cleaning anything and everything he could when the cafe became empty. It was an hour before he was off, and he couldn't focus on anything else but the dinner that Lee was fixing him. He was excited to see where Lee lived, he had never been over before, only to the outside when he would drop Lee off sometimes. The building looked incredibly old, but very cozy and with deep character. Mark couldn't wait to see what the inside was like.

"Thanks for all your help today. You really pulled through." Nessa said, doing up her jacket and pulling a toque over her short hair.

"No problem. Now that exams are over I can breathe again. I feel so much less stressed." Mark said, smiling at the girl.

"I'm happy to hear that. Have a good night, alright?" Nessa said, walking towards the door.

"I will." Mark said, planning on it.

***

Mark took the SkyTrain closer to downtown where Lee lived. There was a short five minute walk from the station to his building, and Mark felt like he was going back in time as he entered the neighborhood. "Dun Vegan Village" a sign read at the entrance to the gated community. Mark looked around and he walked slowly through the street. Every house and apartment building seemed to follow the same architecture: lots of old wood, brick, and copper. The residents seemed a bit on the upscale side, wearing suits and long dresses. Mark felt out of place as he looked down at his faded green Fall jacket, ripped jeans, and Timberland boots.  _'What kind of place is this?'_ he thought to himself, scanning the area for Lee's building.

"Let's see... 404, 406... Ah, 408." Mark said to himself, staring at the quaint building in front of him, closing his Google Maps app.

RIIIIIINNNNGGG~ The buzzer to the building blared, startling Mark. It sounded like an old rotary phone. Moments later the door unlocked and opened by itself. Mark was confused at how they even had the technology to make automatic doors in a place like that. As he walked through the lobby he was met with a large diamond chandelier, and several tribal looking vases that lined the golden tables around the elevator. The place looked like a mixture of what he assumed the Taj Mahal was like, with a hint of fancy-five-star-hotel. 

"Hope you're hungry." Lee remarked, letting Mark step into his place.

There was thick smell of meat in the air, with seasonings that Mark couldn't quite put his finger, or... nose on. The aroma made Mark's stomach growl, and he realized just how famished he was from work.

"I'll take that as a yes." Lee chuckled, looking at Mark with a pout.

Lee led Mark to the dinner table, which was a beautiful dark wooden color. There was candles on the surface, surrounded by what looked like rose petals. The lights were dimmed slightly, giving the entire thing a sort of mysterious and romantic feel. Mark's faced gleamed in the flickering candlelit, his eyes becoming sparkly and beading. 

"You're so, so beautiful." Lee commented, staring at the blonde haired boy as he brought over two plates. Mark blushed and looked down, smiling like a child.

"Here. Braised lamb shanks with Shiitake mushrooms, mixed herbs, and tomatoes in a full-bodied, red wine sauce. The dish has a deep, earthy, pungent taste, which is perfect for this cool, rainy night." he said, presenting the beautiful plate in front of Mark.

"Wow, when did you become a chef?" Mark giggled. 

"What can I say, I'm a jack of all trades, master of none." Lee smiled back. "Now eat, my hungry boy. Tell me if you like it."

Lee poured the two of them a tall glass of Merlot before they dug in. Mark's first bites were incredible, he could taste every single thing that was hitting his tongue, except he knew none of the tastes. The lamb fell off the bone and crumbled into his mouth tenderly. 

"Okay." Mark said in between bites, "This is seriously amazing."

"I'm glad you like it." Lee laughed, as if he knew what Mark was going to say before he spoke. "To your amazing and sexy brain pulling through when you needed it." he toasted, colliding his glass with Mark's.

After a few glasses of wine and a cheesecake that they shared, Mark and Lee had finished their dinner.

"Mark, there's something I want to show you." Lee said at Mark, who was in the middle of finishing the last bite of the cheesecake's crust.

"Mm?"he grumbled, looking up from the plate. Lee grabbed his hand and jerked his head for Mark to follow him. The two boys walked through the long wooden floored hallway into a dark bedroom. Lee wrapped his hands around Mark's face, shielding his eyes from being able to see what was in front of him.

"Ready?" he asked, his hands still blocking Mark's eyes.

"Ready." Mark responded, unsure of what he was about to see.

When Lee removed his hands, it took a minute for Mark's eyes to adjust to the dimly lit bedroom. There were candles all around the room, placed neatly on the dresser, the end table, the window sill, and the side table. There was a large king sized bed in front of him, covered beautifully by a hanging veil that descended from the ceiling. A single rose was placed on the pillow, complimenting the entire package nicely.

"Wow... This is, incredible." Mark said, running his hands over the bed sheets. "You did all this?"

Lee simply nodded and took Mark by the hands, "Mark. I want to make tonight extra special for you." he whispered as he raised his hand to stroke Mark's cheek.

Mark was stunned by how romantic the entire scene was, freezing up at Lee's touch. Any uncertainty Mark had vanished when Lee lifted him, walking him over to the bed and laying him gently down. His eyes never left Mark's, gazing at him like the most priceless piece of art he'd ever seen. A breeze came through the opened window, making the veil they were under flutter a bit. Mark removed his shirt in a swift and fluid motion, making Lee smile mischievously. The rain outside became louder, now hitting the window in a calming drum. Mark could feel goose bumps form on his pale skin, unsure if it was caused by the cool rain and wind, or by the incredibly hot boy now hovering over him shirtless.

Lee had Mark pinned down, his forearms acting like bars, trapping Mark in from either side of his face. He leaned down calmly, touching his lips to Mark's. The muscular boy kissed Mark slowly and deeply, pressing his lips harder and harder into him, only increasing the intensity because Mark was now pushing his lips back in reply. Although Mark was a virgin Lee was not, he seemed to be leading the older, his hands running through Lee's hair, tugging playfully. 

Mark felt a wave of arousal come over him, his skin vibrating at the feel of Lee kissing him. Their make out session became more aggressive, with Lee panting and taking small breaths between the motions. Mark went to work on getting Lee naked, blindly unbuckling his belt while continuing to kiss the boy. Once Lee realized that this was actually happening, he helped Mark out, using his legs to bend and wiggle the pants off without using his hands. Lee was wearing a tight pair of black Armani briefs, which against the candlelit hugged and outlined his dick that was now raging hard.

Mark had watched enough porn to know what was happening next. He reached down, rubbing Lee over his underwear, planting kisses on his neck before undoing his own pants. Lee looked down at Mark unzipping his own pants and eagerly flipped Mark over, interrupting him only to rip the pants off of himself from behind Mark. Mark giggled at the sudden force of Lee, smiling into the pillow as the older boy crawled back up the bed over Mark's body until his face was level with the back of Mark's head. Mark could feel Lee's hard on prodding and rubbing against his ass, while Lee planted wet kisses all over his neck. Lee then took Mark's hands from behind with his own, interlocking their fingers before tightly restraining them over Mark's head, against the frame of the bed. Mark was excited by the unexpected authority and control that Lee was exhibiting. The kisses on his neck became rougher, and then Mark realized that Lee was now sucking gently. 

"Mine." Lee whispered as he released his mouth from Mark's neck, revealing a small bruise. 

"Yours." Mark said back in a half breath, paying no attention to the hickey he now had. 

Lee threw himself to the side of the bed, allowing Mark to turn upright and climb on top of Lee, with his assistance. The blonde haired boy lined up his rear with Lee's erection, grinding in a deep rhythm against him, Lee's underwear becoming slightly wet with precum. 

"Oh, fuck Mark. You have no clue how badly I've wanted this." Lee panted to Mark, like he couldn't handle it anymore.

"So what are you waiting for, big boy?" Mark teased, finally touching Lee with his own hands, massaging and stroking the boy in gentle motions. 

Lee made a confident smirk at Mark before pulling his underwear off and tossing them nonchalantly to the side of the bed and onto the wooden ground. "You sure you want this?" he questioned Mark, rhetorically. 

Mark hummed and nodded his face as he bit his lip, turned on by the fact that he was now able to touch Lee completely without the barrier of underwear. The warm and thick length was pulsing under his palm as if it was about to burst. Before taking his own underwear off, Mark wanted to taste Lee. He leaned down to kiss the boy once more on the lips before trailing off and kissing his way down the boy's rock hard pecs, passed his abs, and  to his fuzzy waist. Lee had kept himself well groomed in preparation for tonight, Mark could tell. The hair was thin, and allowed Mark to get a full display of what he was working with. 

Mark began by kissing the navel, and surrounding areas before finally planting small kisses up and down Lee. He then used his tongue in a slow and delicate motion, the way you would if your ice cream was melting down your cone, a motion that had Lee throw his head back quickly and up at the roof, moaning deeply to himself. The younger boy worked quickly but effectively, taking Lee into his mouth in small amounts, until the entirety of the other boy was finally around his lips. Lee used a free hand to place on top of Mark's blonde head, pressing into it in wave like motions gently, allowing Mark to go at his own pace. After a few minutes of sucking, Mark looked back up at Lee, who was now no longer in control. Lee looked down at Mark in confused expectation, as if he was waiting for some sort of big news. Mark shot a smile towards Lee and slowly crawled back up his body until he was back on top, his round ass placed neatly against Lee.

Lee reached over his chest to dig into the side pocket, taking a condom and a small bottle of lube out of the drawer. He looked back at Mark, who was still smiling, and motioned for him to help put the condom on. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, as Mark rolled the condom down his length. 

"I know I've never done this before, but I'm more ready now than I ever have been." he reassured Lee. "I just want to feel you in me..." he trailed off as he kissed Lee's lips. Mark laid down on his stomach beside Lee, as if he was preparing for a massage. Lee tilted himself on to his side and popped open the small bottle. The lube was cool at first, but quickly warmed at the feel of Lee's fingers. Mark shivered slightly at the breeze that swept through the room from the rainy wind outside. Lee leaned into Mark and gave him a few kisses on the shoulder before placing his finger over Mark's hole. Mark tensed up at the foreign feeling of something about to enter him. He shot a concerned look to Lee, who dispelled it when another kiss. Lee rubbed Mark for a little before deciding to slowly enter him. The finger slid in without much resistance, as most fingers do. Mark knew the pain wouldn't begin until the third, so he continued to kiss Lee and let him massage with the one finger. After a while his hole had relaxed, and Lee slowly inserted a second finger, causing Mark a feeling of slight discomfort. He did his best to put the feeling out of his mind, instead focusing on the big lips he was kissing. Lee's lips were the softest he'd ever felt, with his bottom lip being bigger than both of Mark's put together. 

Mark's tongue slowly danced around in Lee's mouth, and it was as if they were battling over whose tongue could be on top. Lee nibbled on Mark's bottom lip slightly, as his third finger found the entrance. Mark let in a small suck of air, clearly noticing the new addition. Lee did his best to be gentle, massaging as lightly as he could until he felt Mark push back into him. 

"You like that?" Lee said happily, questioning the younger.

"Uh huh." Mark sighed back, now getting used to the 'full' feeling he'd felt earlier. He began to back himself up into Lee's fingers, helping him scissor in and out of the hole.

After a few more minutes of fingering and kissing, Lee demanded that Mark get on top.

"This is the best way for you to do it, trust me. That way you can control how much you take of me and how fast." he instructed Mark, as he hoisted the younger on top of his stomach.

Mark felt the solid abdominal muscles under him, and tingled at the thought of Lee being inside him. He slowly lifted himself until the head of Lee's dick was sliding around his relaxed opening. Mark looked directly at Lee as he lowered himself. The change of facial expressions on Lee's face gave Mark extreme satisfaction. Lee looked like he had just had the most incredible stretch of his life, relaxing into the bed and letting his head roll from side to side in pleasure. He bit his lip as Mark took him inside inch by inch. 

Mark felt as though he was being split in half from the bottom up, and did his best to mask the pained look from Lee in order to save the mood. Mark lowered himself further, telling himself that it felt good. After reaching the bottom, and his cheeks hitting the stomach of Lee, the pain began to disappear. Mark couldn't believe that relaxing and focusing on other things could work so easily. Now that Lee was completely inside of Mark, he began to thrust up slowly at first, and then down quicker. The pumping motions made Lee squirm under him, moaning like Mark was delivering a deadly massage. 

"Fuck that feels amazing." Lee gasped, "You. You feel amazing."

Mark blushed as he continued to lift himself up and push himself down. That's when the pleasure really started for him. He studied Lee's face, anxious to see if he was doing a good job. Every thrust had Lee expressing a different look of pleasure. Mark leaned down and began to kiss the older top, allowing him to take over the reins. At that moment Lee forced himself up, picking up Mark with him, who was straddled around his waist, still connected to him. Lee walked a few steps over to the wall, pushing Mark against it. Mark's head hit the wood with a small thud, the pain not even noticeable. Lee used his strength to lift Mark himself, propping his back up against the wall and moving faster in and out of Mark.

Mark felt what he thought was a itch that needed to be scratch, except times a hundred. Lee had began pressing against something inside Mark that made him tingle on the legs. The feeling was one that Mark was unfamiliar with, he looked at Lee with an ' _I can't believe it'_ expression.

"Holy shit.." he panted. Lee got excited at the idea of Mark enjoying his dick inside of him, and began to work extra hard at pressing against that spot, encouraged by Mark's sudden sexual epiphany. The thrusts became faster and faster until both boys were moaning in unison, mirroring each others facial expressions.

"Mark, I'm gonna cum." Lee said quickly, looking at Mark intensely. "Where do you want it, babe?" 

"Just come inside." Mark said, wrapping his arms around Lee's neck tighter so not to fall at the older's weakened state.

Lee pushed away from the wall and swung Mark back towards the bed, making him land softly against the white silk sheets. Mark collapsed into the duvet, the feeling in his legs slowly returning. Lee kissed the side of Mark's face furiously, pumping himself into Mark. The feeling of Mark around him was a mixture of warm and pleasure. It was mere seconds after being back on the bed that Lee was tensing up and looking at Mark in anticipation. Mark knew what was coming and began pressing himself into Lee, helping the boy thrust harder and faster into him. The sudden intensity gave Mark a feeling of pleasure like no other. As Lee became to shake and vibrate over him, Mark felt himself release the pent up feeling inside of him, shooting his white cum all over his stomach at the same time Lee had finished inside of him. The cum was hot and sticky, and became smeared around as Lee collapsed on top of it, kissing Mark passionately. They laid there for five minutes, Lee still hard inside of Mark, his heart pounding quickly in his chest at what just happened. Mark kissed the top of Lee's head, who was panting and resting on Mark's chest. 

There was a boom of thunder in the distance followed by a sudden flash that broke up the silence between the two young men, who were still embracing, sweaty, and panting. A few of the candles had went out due to all of the sudden movements. Mark looked down at Lee, whose eyes were closed.

"Wow, I can't believe I came without even touching myself." Mark said staring up at the white stucco ceiling. 

"You were perfect." Lee said, moving his face up to see Mark. 

"I'm going to sleepover, if that's okay." Mark said, pouting. 

"Good. I thought you'd never ask." Lee said happily, "I'll clean this all up tomorrow. Come." he ordered. Lee slowly pulled himself out of Mark and tossed the condom into a tiny garbage bin that was placed at the bedside. 

Mark crawled into Lee's massive arms, nestling peacefully into his armpit area. The older boy was still breathing heavy, as he placed a big cheesy kiss on Mark's forehead, taking a section of the duvet and covering him with it. Mark was asleep within minutes, Lee stayed up for a while after, gently playing with the strands of Mark's blonde hair while he slept. Lee looked down at the boy cuddled into his arms and smiled, placing a small kiss on the bruise that was on Mark's neck.  _'Mine'_ he said to himself as he closed his eyes.

The rain provided a nice blanket of background noise as Lee slowly fell into a deep sleep, satisfied with how the night turned out.


	14. Red Light

Krystal was slightly intoxicated at 4PM on a Thursday due to the fact that she had nothing better to do, besides go over the list of responsibilities that were required of all group leaders. She had decided that in order for her to get more active and involved in school she needed to join more groups. She didn't exactly aim to become the group leader of the Gay and Straight Alliance, but she stepped up to the plate when the Dean considered shutting the club down due to nobody volunteering to coordinate it. It would give her a stronger sense of purpose, as well as get her out of her apartment more often, which is something she was excited about. Although she wasn't gay herself, she wanted to support her gay friends and the new people at the school by showing them that she was an ally. 

Krystal was sprawled out on her pink sofa. She looked through the clipboard, going down the list with her eyes while taking a huge drink of her bottle of wine straight from the bottle without taking her eyes off the paper.

"Coordinate and host club activities and social outings." she read. "Hmm, so like basically I'm a party planner? I'll be so good at this. Won't I Bruisy?" she laughed, petting the fat piece of fur that was drooling next to her.

Her phone rang, "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S" Fergie sang out loudly. Krystal put her wine down, wondering who would be calling her.

"Yeoboseyo" she said with a burp.

"Huh?" Mark replied. "Krystal you know I don't speak Korean."

"Shit. Sorry. Hi Mark, I thought you were my dad." she groaned, "What's up?"

"You're never going to believe it. But... I did it! I had sex." Mark squealed. 

"SHUT. UP. You little slut!!" Krystal screamed. She could feel Mark pull the phone away from his ear for a second before he answered.

"Yeah, with Lee. It was amazing." he sighed. 

"Oh my god. Hold that thought. I'm coming over right this minute." she yelled, springing up and putting her flip flops on. "Marky-poo my little harlot." she giggled.

Krystal left Bruiser in the apartment as she dashed across the hall, opening Mark's door without even knocking.

"Was he big? Was he rough? Did he bite you?" Krystal said at warp speed, "Did he hit you? Did you ask him to hit you? Did it hurt?" she continued with squinting interrogative glance.

"He made me dinner. Then he carried me to the room and laid me on the bed. There was rose petals, rain, and a big fancy veil over the bed." Mark said proudly.

"Did you let him cum on you, did it taste weird?" Krystal ignored Mark's attempts at being sweet. Mark could tell she had a little bit to drink.

"Are you hammered, Kris?" Mark said, squeezing his nose, "Damn you smell like my aunt Valerie after eight boxes of wine."

"Eh, I had a pick me up at lunch." Krystal chimed. "Anyway, back to you. Does this mean that you two are like, official?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, I feel like it but we haven't said anything." Mark said, confusing himself. "Should I ask him?"

"Well the real question is do  _you_ want to be exclusive? As in... do you want to sleep with other people?" she asked.

Mark looked down with an upset expression on his face. "Well, not exactly." he said quietly.

Krystal rolled her eyes, "Mark you're doing it again."

"Sorry."

She climbed into the sofa with Mark, forcing him to rest his head on her shoulder. She petted his hair like a cat. "Don't worry my dear. Someday you'll be over him and the world will be sunny and bright again." she slurred.

"It's not that, Kris. As much fun as I had with Lee, I just-" 

"OUCH!" Krystal jerked away, interrupting Mark.

Mark lifted his head, startled, all he did was lean on Krystal's thigh. 

"You alright?" Mark apologized.

"Yeah, fine. It's nothing." she said quickly back to the blonde haired boy, placing her hands over her leg.

Mark lifted her hands and threw them to the side, slowly uncovering her leggings. Her left thigh had a massive bruise on it, the size of Mark's palm. It looked fairly new, and Krystal winced at even the slightest touch of it.

"Krystal, you wouldn't lie to me, right?" Mark began to stutter.

"Mark, please." she shot back. "Leave it."

He gave Krystal a look of defeat, pulling her into a tight hug. Krystal was confused, but allowed the boy to envelop her. She dug her face into Mark's chest, not realizing that she was now crying. 

"You know I'm your best friend, and I'll be here for anything, right?" Mark said comfortingly, rubbing his cheek against the crown of the girl's head.

"Yeah... I know." Krystal choked back her tears. "But trust me, this is... just... I'm not ready. Not yet." she pleaded.

Mark could see that even in her tipsy state, the glazed look in her eyes was honest. He could tell that she wanted so badly to tell him, but couldn't. Not right away, anyway. He simply nodded, continuing to rock her slowly, petting her hair down slowly.

"Hey, guess what?" Krystal said, sniffling and pushing away from Mark. "I'm the captain of the GSA at school."

Mark's expression changed to that of surprise. "Serious? As in, you run the show?" he pondered.

"Yup! First task is to hold a social outing where everyone meets each other." she replied, swiflty wiping the tear from her cheek.

"That's amazing. You'll do great. You're a natural leader. People are moved by you when you speak, for better or worse." he giggled.

'Thanks Monkey Boy." she laughed before sniffling one last time.

"What were you thinking of doing?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

Krystal shook her head, "Not sure. Probably a party of some sort. Maybe a dance."

Mark perked up, "Yes! That's a good idea. It'll give me an opportunity to wear my old high school graduation suit. I love that suit. Cost me an arm and a leg and I'll be damned if I can't wear it again for anything other than Facebook selfies." he protested.

"Yeah! Good idea. I'll make it theme party." Krystal waved her hands in front of her as if she was revealing something, "Casino Royale" she said in an exuberant voice.

"Deal. I'll invite Lee as my date." Mark smiled, thinking of how Lee would dress for the event.

"Great. And spread the word to all your friends. I want this thing to be a success. Nobody will doubt my social prowess." Krystal said, slamming her fist into her palm. "Those other clubs better be prepared for envy by Krystal Jung's extravagant social events."

Krystal gave Mark a quick European two-kiss on his cheeks before saying goodbye and thanking him for the talk. She needed to go home and do her planning, completely enthralling herself in her plans. As she retreated to her apartment, she closed the door behind her and slammed to the floor, dragging herself down the door as support. She laid there completely still, staring at the ground as if it was a void. The alcohol flowed through her veins, making it look as though the floor was moving in small waves. Bruiser scampered over to where Krystal was laying and began to slobber kisses all over her. Krystal groaned a little bit, but Bruiser continued, the bull dog was not giving up.

"Alright, I'll get up, but I'm not rubbing your back. You'll fart on me again." she slurred, getting up slowly, using the shoe rack as a support beam, knocking over a couple pairs of heels. She sashayed through the hallway, collapsing on the couch, out cold.

***

MARK TUAN (text)

_ 'Kris, are you at school? Let's have lunch. I'm starving.' _

MARK TUAN (text)

_ 'Kris text me back. Where r u?' _

MARK TUAN (text)

_ 'Answer me or I'll break your door down. I'm worried.' _

Krystal jolted up, rubbing her face wildly, adjusting her eyes to the light that was coming from the balcony window. She looked around for her phone instinctively, not finding it anywhere around her. She slowly stood up, wiping the drool from off her chin. Bruiser was asleep in his dog bed. Krystal looked at the time on the stove, 6PM.  _'Oh good, I only slept an hour or so.'_ she told herself, putting her hair into a neat ponytail.

Her phone was vibrating on the floor underneath a throw pillow, Kris picked it up and answered it quickly, interrupting Fergie.

"Yeah?" she grumbled. 

"Kris what the fuck? I've been trying to get a hold of you for like 15 hours. Where the hell are you?" Mark said furiously.

"What do you mean, I was just with you." she said back in a sleepy tone. 

"It's Friday night Krystal. I haven't seen you since Thursday afternoon. What are you talking about?" Mark said angrily. 

Krystal's heart sank. "F-Friday?" she muttered back to Mark. "So I slept for a whole day. It seriously only felt like a five minute nap. I could sleep again actually." she said rubbing her eye.

"Are you okay? You're really starting to freak me out." Mark stated. "I'm coming over."

"NO!" Krystal howled, louder than she had expected to. "I'm just going to take a bath and then get some more sleep. I've just been sick is all." she lied. 

"Well, okay. But don't ignore me like that next time. You know I worry about you. I was ready to scale your balcony and peek through your window." he said warningly.

"I'm fine. Really. Talk to you later babe." Krystal said, hanging up the phone before Mark could answer. As she ended the call, she finally saw her inbox, and all the messages that Mark had left. Did she really lose a whole day, just like that? Before she could get any further into her thoughts, another call popped up on her cell. This time it was from an unknown number.

"Mark, I swear." Krystal declared as she answered the phone.

"Krystal, it's Lee." the voice said sharply. "We have a problem."

Krystal ran to her door and looked out of the peep hole, examined the hallway quickly, then turned back to the empty apartment. 

"What's going on?" she whispered, in a serious and worried tone.

"It's the Dean, I think she's onto us." Lee answered, just as worried.

 


	15. Contending Loyalties

Mark cracked his knuckles and braced himself. All eyes were on him. He began to run, slow at first but then picking up speed. Once he had made it halfway through the room he jumped up and tumbled into a flip, twisting his body twice before landing on his feet in a thud. The students at Next Level Dance Studio errupted into applause.

"Wow! Who knew we had such acrobatic talent in this classroom?" the instructor cheered, giving Mark a pat on the shoulder. 

Mark was continuing his dance classes, Lee by his side. He was really enjoying himself too, he felt like he was getting the hang of every style. And ever since losing his virginity to Lee, he had a surge of confidence enter his life. Mark held his head high and bowed proudly to his classmates. 

"That's nothing, you should see him do a back handspring full body layout." a familiar voice said, walking through the front doors of the studio. It was Jackson. He strolled into the builing wearing a tan brown peacoat.

"Jackson? I tought you quit." the instructor said, quickly checking the class list he held in his hands. 

"Don't get too excited people, I'm just picking up my bag I left in the back." Jackson answered, walking into the back locker room. 

After the commotion died down about fifteen minutes later Mark looked over his shoulder to the locker room where Jackson was.

"I better go check on him." Mark said eagerly, turning to Lee.

Lee put his hand on Mark's chest, stopping the smaller boy from moving. "I don't think that's the best idea, sweetheart." he said in a slow and stern tone.

"Lee, please move." Mark said, examing the boy's hand on his chest. 

"Fine. But you're making a mistake." Lee snarled, taking his hand off of Mark.

Mark flicked his sweaty hair out of his face and jogged into the back room. He hadn't seen Jackson for what seemed like forever, and he was eager to see how the boy was doing. Their last interaction had less than an ideal outcome. When Mark went into the back he found Jackson sitting on the locker room bench alone, looking through a red duffel bag. 

"Jackson?" Mark questioned calmly. Jackson looked up from his task at the call of his name, and then sighed and turned back to what he was doing when he saw Mark.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time. I miss you." Mark said, sitting down beside the busy boy.

"Of course you haven't seen much of me, you've been too busy with your new boyfriend." Jackson said under his breath still digging through his things.

"He's not my boyfriend, Jackson. Lee and I are just friends." Mark said, putting his hand on Jackson's shoulder. 

Jackson nudged away at Mark's touch, "Well when you kiss someone, go on dates with them, call them babe, spend each day with them and care about them, that sounds like a fucking boyfriend to me." he blurted out.

Mark slid back a little at the sudden anger in Jackson's voice. 

"I don't see you coming to see me either. Last we talked Luna was keeping you on quite the short leash. She would probably crusify me for even talking to you right now." he snapped back, furrowing his brow. 

"That's totally different Mark. You know she's justified in her reason for wanting me to not hang out with you." Jackson said, "You know what, forget it."

"See! Just keep defending her, as if I don't mean anything. And then shy away and give up when I want to actually have a conversation about it." Mark said, getting frustrated, "Don't I deserve some sort of clarity?"

"You want clarity?" Jackson said, standing up nodding his head over and over. "Why don't you ask your precious husband Ace to give you some clarity. Oh, I'm sorry. I mean _'Lee'_ or whatever the hell you want to call him."

"Jackson, what are you talking about?" Mark demanded.

"See! Don't come to me looking for answers for things I can't control when you don't even know who you're getting involved with." Jackson shouted, grabbing his bag.

Just then Lee showed up at the door to the locker room, a concerned look on his face as he slowly entered. He glanced at Mark, and then again at Jackson. 

"Everything alright in here?" he calmly began, "I heard some yelling..."

Jackson gave Lee an annoyed look, then flung his bag over his shoulder and walked towards the door. 

"I'll give you two some room to have an honest talk. Seems like you guys don't do enough of that." he said as he pushed Lee aside with his shoulder and disappeared out of the room. 

"What exactly is all this about, Mark?" Lee questioned, rubbing his shoulder. 

"Lee, why did Jackson call you 'Ace?'" Mark asked curiously, looking up at him. "And why did he tell me that there's a lot I don't know about you?"

"Babe, seriously?" Lee said sliding over to sit beside the concerned blonde. "I told you that's just a nickname I got. You know how Jackson is. He's jealous, manipulative, and petty. He's just trying to cause a rift between us because he wants you for himself."

"Listen, Lee. If there's anything I know about Jackson, it's that he  _can_ be annoying and immature sometimes, but that boy has never lied to me, not even once. Why would he start now?" Mark began, "And he was the one who told me he couldn't be my friend anymore, so there's no chance he wants to be with me. Tell me what you've been keeping from me, please."

Mark's concern grew and grew as Lee sat in silence, leaning against a green locker door. Lee dug into his pocket and turned away from Mark, popping open a pill bottle before shooting into his mouth and swalling it dry. Mark stared at Lee's back and then made a small  _hmph sound._

_"_ I should have known." Mark said oddly calm, the dull smirk still on his face. "You're harboring a drug problem, aren't you?"

"Oh calm down Mark, don't be so dramatic!" Lee shouted suddenly, turning sharply to look at Mark. "I take these for my anxiety, that's all."

"I thought they were for your pharmaceutical's course. Or was that a lie too?" Mark argued. "I'm not an idiot you know. I spoke to the Dean. I asked her if it was normal for you guys to have large amounts of narcotics given by professors in order to complete a course."

"Mark, you idiot." Lee shouted back, clearly worried. "You know how much trouble I could get into?! That's serious stuff."

Mark looked down, then stood up and slowly walked out of the door, "Apparently not as serious as honesty in a relationship."

Lee quickly grabbed Mark's arm, squeezing it and pressing him against the locker door. "You could've just cost me my entire academic career right there." he said ferociously, staring deep into Mark's eyes.

Mark's heart began to beat rapidly, he had never ever seen this side of Lee. It worried him to the absolute core.

"Lee, you're hurting me." Mark stuttered, becoming more and more worried. He looked into Lee's eyes deeply, desperately trying to figure out who it was that was standing before him. "Let me go, now."

Lee's grip only became tighter at Mark's pleas, the strength of his arms coming through. There was a new look in his eyes, one of hysteria, he didn't even look like the same compassionate Lee that Mark had come to know.

"I said let me go!" Mark shouted, trying his best to pry himself away from Lee's clutches. 

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me exactly why our school's Dean left a very concerning voicemail on my phone yesterday morning." Lee threatened, "Why does she want to meet with me next week?"

"How the fuck should I know, you're the one with all the secrets here, not me." Mark said, now using his fingers to try and bend his arm away from the other boy.

At that moment a fist came flying past Mark's ear, meeting Lee's chin in a loud and sudden smack. Lee's reflexes to cover his face allowed Mark to free himself and back away. Jackson was now between the two boys, an indiscibable look of anger on his face as he shook his head with disgust at Lee.

"Next time it's your nose, and something tells me a pretty boy like you doesn't want a broken one." Jackson growled. "Get the fuck out of here."

Lee began to laugh like a child, rubbing his chin playfully. Mark sunk to the ground, absolutely horrified at the way Lee was acting. Could this really be from a history of drug use?

Lee cracked his neck with a swift motion, once to the left and again to the right. Jackson motioned for Mark to stay behind him, taking his coat off and revealing his muscle shirt beneath. The two boys stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime, both eyeing the other down.

It was Lee who spoke first, "I knew you liked Mark." he scoffed. "I could see you eye-fucking him every time you saw us together. But guess what? It was me who got to actually fuck him." Lee giggled.

Jackson flinched in pain at that news, but continued to stand firm, protecting Mark from any more harm. 

"Yeah, we had sex. But I would've ended it as soon as I got what I wanted. I didn't think Mark was dumb enough to blow the lid on the entire operation. Beautiful but dumb, that's all he is." Lee snickered, tilting his head down to stare at Mark. 

Mark was in tears now, breathing rapidly and backing himself up into the locker as far as he could. "Why are you doing this?!" he shouted pitifully.

"You're wrong." Jackson said stubbornly, "Mark is the best thing that's ever happened to you. But you're the one who's dumb. You hurt him, let him slip out of your hands. You don't deserve to even know him."

"And let me guess, you do?" Lee laughed. "You knew about this whole thing and you didn't bother to protect your precious Marky until now."

"I didn't think you would actually go through with it. You really expected to get away with stealing thousands of dollars of medication to sollicite to students without fear of repercussions?" Jackson said, completely stunned.

"Of course not, I'm smarter than that. My plan would've worked out a lot better if my fucking runner wasn't addicted to the damn things." he said, partly to himself and partly to Jackson.

Mark's face dropped, "You mean Kris?!" he shouted. "You leave her out of this!"

"Oh shutup, she was hardly helpful anyway. She kept mixing the drugs with wine and going on three day long binges, she cost me a lot of money that one." Lee said scornfully, "But don't worry. She paid the ultimate price."

Mark remembered the bruises just then, and the thought of Lee hurting his friend had Mark pulling himself and pushing his way past Jackson's guard. Mark only made it part of the way before Jackson was able to restrain him, holding the erratic Mark like a wild dog off his leash. 

"Mark, calm down." Jackson pleaded. "Please. Don't do this."

Mark was a mixture of tears and fury, swinging wildly past Jackson's shoulders towards Lee who was pacing back and forth with a smile like The Joker.

"I'll kill you, I swear to god." Mark clenched his jaw, giving Lee the worst look he could muster up.

"I have a better idea." Jackson said, "Let's let the police deal with this."

Just then two officers burst through the locker room door, Jackson had made an advanced phone call when he heard Mark's cries earlier. They showed up just in time to hear Lee's confession.

"Get down on the ground Ace!" they yelled, as if they'd known Lee for quite some time. 

Lee slowly knelt down on his knees, his gaze never straying from Mark's eyes. There was a deep and sick smirk on his face as he was placed in handcuffs. Mark shivered as Lee was escorted out past them.

***

Back at home Mark was laying on his grey sofa curled up with his Big Bird slippers on. Jackson grabbed a blanket from the closet and covered Mark up with it, handing him a fresh cup of tea to warm him. 

"I... don't know who that boy was. He wasn't the same Lee that'd I'd been dating these last couple months." Mark said in shock to himself, looking petrified.

"Well, he was high probably about 90% of your reationship, on a mixture of uppers and downers and god knows what else. Those kinds of things can really do a number on someone. And as far as I can tell Lee was already very psychotic before he got started on drugs. My uncle is a police officer. That's how I know Ace. He is brilliant, but manipulative. He was in and out of jail for petty theft and small victimless crimes, but I thought he'd straightened himself out once I found out he was in university." Jackson spoke softly to Mark. "I guess not, since he'd moved on to distributing drugs to students."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mark sighed. 

Jackson looked away, then towards the ground before answering. "I saw how happy he made you. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and hoped that he could continue to make you happy, because I couldn't."

Just then Mark pulled his face away from his tea just in time to notice Jackson starting to cry. He leaned over, putting a bit of the blanket over Jackson's back comfortingly. Jackson crumbled at the act of love from Mark, sinking into a mess of emotions. The tears flowed from his eyes powerfully as he choked out to Mark, "I'm so, so sorry Mark."

Mark looked down at the bad boy, his heart growing heavy at the sight of Jackson crying. "I'm okay, really." he said to Jackson. "It's because of you."

Mark began rubbing Jackson's back, and held him even closer. He could feel the warm drops of tears falling onto his chest as he squeezed Jackson. Mark couldn't help but shed a few tears at the extreme emotions that he had encountered that day.

"I'll never leave you again." he told Mark as he wiped his tears and straightened his posture up. "I promise."

Mark rested his head on Jackson's shoulder. "What about Luna?" he questioned.

"I broke it off with her a while ago. She became more like a wicked step sister than a girlfriend." he sniffled. "And besides, she wasn't nearly as gorgeous as you."

Mark smiled through his tears, looking up at Jackson who was smirking down at him. 

"I love you, Bambi." Jackson said soflty, wiping the tear from Mark's cheek away. 

All the pain that Mark felt in his chest, and the anger and anxiety that was running through his veins was then replaced by a cool and refreshing feeling of warmth. He began to blush at Jackson, feeling his heart grow more and more fond of the boy that had rescued him from danger.

"I love you too, Jackson." he whispered back.

 

 


	16. Masquerade

The next day Mark met Krystal in a park near their apartment, she had stayed at a friend's place, worried sick after Mark told her what happened the night before. There were dark clouds in the sky above, and Mark could smell and feel winter coming. 

"So that's it, then?" Mark said, nibbling the inside of his cheek anxiously, "You just didn't think too far into the whole thing?"

"Exactly." Krystal spoke softly. "It was stupid, I know."

Mark raised his voice, "Not stupid Krystal. Completely INSANE. Not only illegal but extremely dangerous."

Krystal looked down towards the sand and sighed, there was a look of guilt in her face.

"You lied to me." Mark said, swinging beside her. The air was cold and biting, and Mark's fingers were going white at the touch of the chain holding the swing up, every breath of his leaving a foggy aftermath in the air around him. "You knew I liked Lee, and you lied right to my face multiple times. You know how much that hurt me?"

"You know I didn't want to do that to you, you're my best friend. It's just... I was just so fucked up at the time. I believed even my own lies." she finally answered, getting off her seat to pace around the swing set. She slowly walked behind Mark, and began giving the boy gentle pushes.

"I knew that it was wrong, but Lee was so madly convincing. He kept telling me that we were doing nothing against the law. I didn't even realize what was happening until I started to take the pills myself. I felt like I had to try them to see what the hype was about. Next thing you know, I'm losing three, four, five hours from my memories. Days, even." she continued. 

"What are you going to tell the police?" Mark asked, looking down towards her as he swung.

"I don't know." she said staring off into space. "I guess I'll just tell them the truth. I became hooked on the pills, but I never sold any to anybody, that was all Lee. He tried to get me to do it but I didn't. I only took the small supply he gave me. It only went on for less than a month. I can't get into too much trouble for having a drug problem, can I?" she ask back, worried.

"Nah, I think you'll be okay. You did know about it, but the police know just how coercive Lee can be. And the bruises that you have are more than enough proof for them to be convinced that you were being controlled against your will."

"I swear, I'm never touching another drug in my life!" Krystal said, making a fist. "This has been the most traumatic month ever. You'll forgive me, won't you Mark?" she begged, looking at her friend with a sorry expression.

"It'll take some time, but I think we'll be alright." Mark told her, swinging himself higher.

The police were waiting at the apartment when the two returned, just as they'd expected. Mark gave Krystal a tight side hug before wishing her luck. She stepped into the back of the single cruiser and drove off with the two officers.

Mark unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside, "Honey, I'm home." he said in a whisper.

Jackson was asleep in his bed, surrounded in three pillows. Mark could only see a small portion of his face, his hair covering it wildly. Mark heard soft snores coming from the mountain of bedding. 

"Wakey wakey, handsome." Mark said, sitting beside Jackson on the bed. He touched the sleeping boy's thigh, rubbing it in a little shake. 

_"Huh? Hrrrrrmmmm~"_ Jackson groaned, stretching his arms and legs out as far as they'd go. 

"Boy you look cute in my pajamas." Mark smiled, laying down beside Jackson. 

Jackson smiled back and scooted over, giving Mark more room before using one arm to pull Mark into him, placing the boy's head onto his chest. He squeezed Mark gently into a hug and swung one thigh over him, nestling his face into the boy's hair before snoring again.

Mark teased, "Wake up you snoring monster. You haven't ate all day, I'm not letting you starve in my house." he nudged Jackson with his shoulder, forcing the boy to open his eyes.

"Alright alright." Jackson yawned. "What time is it?"

Mark pulled his phone out and laid his head back on Jackson's chest, enjoying the warm cuddle. "It's 8:18PM on Wednesday, October 14th 2015. And it's also dinner time for you"

Jackson gave Mark a small kiss on the head and squeezed him closer, making Mark drop his phone and giggle.

"What are you going to cook me?" he whispered into Mark's ear playfully. The vibrations of Jackson's sleepy, deep, sexy voice so close in Mark's ear made the boy shiver a bit. 

"I was thinking of just ordering in, since it's cold and I don't have much in the form of groceries." Mark replied.

"Great. Takeout it is. Use my MasterCard." he said, gesturing over to his pants that were crumbled on the floor.

Mark answered in perfect Cantonese, "No. I'll pay this time."

Jackson gave an angry pout towards Mark but gave up when he saw the stubbornness of the boy resting on him. 

"Fine." he grumbled back in the same language.

***

As they were eating Mark got a phone call from Krystal. She informed Mark that all her potential charges were dropped.

"That's great news, hun. What else did they say?" he asked her curiously.

"All I have to do is sign some papers that say I won't get high anymore and write a letter apologizing to the Dean for my involvement. I'm so relieved!" she squealed back to Mark. "This means I'll be able to host my orientation dance for the club! You two are still coming, right?!"

Mark looked over at Jackson slowly, the brown haired boy was using the chopsticks as teeth and making walrus noises to himself. Mark slowly turned back, shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah... we'll be there." he chuckled. 

"Awesome, it's Friday. DON'T be late. And wear something cute, dress to impress. Remember, it's Casino Royale themed." she demanded.

"Yes yes, we know. We'll be there don't worry." he retorted. "Now, I've gotta finish eating. Thanks for the good news." he said as he hung the phone up.

Mark leaned back into the couch and stroked Jackson's legs that were on top of his lap. They were watching reruns of Family Guy on Netflix, Jackson's favorite show. Mark stared at Jackson eating away, devouring his fried rice as if he'd never eaten a thing in his life. The blonde couldn't help but smile, seeing how beautiful Jackson was without even trying. There was an aura about him, Mark felt incredibly comfortable, like he could do or say anything and Jackson would support him and protect him. He gave Jackson another loving look and then turned back to his own plate. 

Once they were finished eating, Mark offered to let Jackson spend the night again, to which he declined.

"I have to get back home. Pops will start to wonder where I am. And he's not exactly happy with me after the whole Luna thing." Jackson said, lingering by the front door.

"I understand. I don't want to make things difficult for you or your family. So if I need to lay low, I will." Mark responded, understandingly.

"Hey, don't think like that." Jackson said, leaning his face towards Mark. "It's not you that's the problem. Or me. Or... this." he said, motioning towards the space between them, "It's everyone else. We can't change their minds overnight, so let's just look after ourselves, alright?" 

Mark enjoyed it when Jackson comforted him, he could tell things were going to start looking up. "Thanks, Jacks." he said, giving the boy a hug.

Jackson held Mark tightly for a minute or two before nodding at him and walking out the door. "See you at the dance, Bambi. You're my date." he said quietly before disappearing down the hall.

Mark closed the door behind the boy and smiled from ear to ear. _"Date..."_ he echoed to himself.

***

"Ugh, are you sure this even looks okay?" Mark sighed, looking at himself in the full lengthed mirror. "I don't even want to go anymore." he pouted.

Krystal poked her head out from the bathroom and into the hallway were Mark was standing, "Shut your mouth. You'll come and you'll enjoy it and you'll tell everyone that I'm the best leader in the entire school." she snapped, popping her head back.

"Calm down, you look awesome." Jackson said, coming through the green door into Mark's place. Mark had given the boy his own key, just in case he wanted somewhere to crash.

"I think you're missing something though." Jackson chimed, sneaking up behind Mark.

He wrapped his arms around Mark's waist and gave him a warm kiss on the neck, just under his earlobe. Mark giggled and leaned into Jackson's mouth with a loving smile. 

"I got this for you." he whispered, moving his hands up from Mark's waist towards his neck. Just then he untangled a bright silver chain that had a diamond emblem on it in the shape of a small four legged animal. He clasped the necklace shut behind Mark's neck and allowed the boy to see it in the mirror.

Mark was stunned at how bright it was, even the dim light from the hallway was enough to make the thing sparkle like the surface of a lake in summer. It must have cost an arm and a leg, he immediately thought.

"Jackson, where did you get this?" he said quickly, examining the diamonds in the mirror closer.

"Don't worry about it. It's yours now." he replied, taking a step back to admire Mark.

Mark held the pendant up into the mirror, counting the diamonds: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven... and losing count. There was something written on the backside of the animal, engraved into the silver.

_'Bambi'_ it read with a small heart beside it. Mark couldn't help but blush. Jackson had gone through so much trouble to give Mark a nice piece of jewelry and here he was worried about the cost without saying thank you.

"It's gorgeous." he said softly, holding the necklace against his heart. "I love it."

"Good. Now you'll always have a piece of me with you. Even when I'm not." he smiled back at Mark.

"Oh, get a room!" Krystal yelled from the bathroom over the sound of hairspray. "But not Mark's room, cause we have to go!"

Jackson was wearing a leather two piece suit by Marc Jacobs, it was sleeveless and black and the pants were harem style. He was incredibly fashion forward, and had the money to never wear anything twice, so he didn't.

"I'll look like a potato standing next to you tonight." Mark said pitifully, staring at the model in front of him.

"Then you'll be the hottest potato I've ever had the pleasure of dating." he said back laughing.

"Uhm, dating?" Mark repeated quietly.

Jackson's smile faded, "I mean. Sorry. I just thought-"

"Cabs are heeerreee! Let's get this show on the road." Krystal yelled like Pauly D from Jersey Shore, storming between the two boys with her heels. 

Mark looked at Jackson expectantly, but Jackson said nothing. Instead, he bent his arm and held it out for Mark to grab onto.

***

The cab drove for half an hour before pulling up to what Mark thought was the biggest casino he had ever laid eyes on. It was covered in golden lights, all blinking and flashing in patterns around the red neon logo: Palisade Casino. Jackson's diamond earrings glistened at the flickering lights as they walked into the building. Krystal led the three, stomping down the carpet into the building like she owned it. Her dress was a tight black and partly leather piece, like Jackson's outfit. She had her hair straightened beautifully and her right arm donning her black crow tattoo. Her high heels were about six inches, with small blades on either side. Mark imagined Krystal walking into the place with her outfit, wielding two machine guns and ready to rob the place.

Once they were inside, the lights only got more intense. There were strobes of all colors, and green lasers covering the dance floor ahead of them. There was a large  white banner suspended from the top of the entrance that read, "UBC's Gay and Straight Alliance Orientation Dance 2015." Mark wondered how Krystal was able to afford all of this with her pathetic income, then held his tongue as he saw how proud Jackson was, knowing for sure he must've had a hand in renting the place and covering the cost of all of these decorations and trinkets.

"Let's get a drink, split up, and then meet back here in 5. I wanna make a lap and soak in my own genius." Krystal said, strutting away smiling to herself.

Jackson turned over to Mark and placed a kiss upon his hand before walking in the opposite direction of Krystal. Mark stood there alone, watching the two disappear into the crowd of gays and straights. He decided he would get himself a drink, and began to walk towards the empty bar at the back.

"Double tequila sunrise. Premium." he told the bartender once he was there. 

"Sure thing." the guy said back. He was a cute bartender, well kept and regal looking. He had a baby face, and Mark wondered if he was even of age to be serving alcohol. His nametag read "Yoseob."

"Have fun tonight, Mark." he said, sliding the drink over to him with a grin.

"How did you know my name?" Mark said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Just a lucky guess, I suppose. Cheers!" the bartender said back.

Mark nodded politely and grabbed his drink, he swirled it around a bit before sipping the straw. Everyone was dressed so nicely. There were a lot of people wearing white tuxedos, including some of the lesbians. There were women in tight red dresses, their hair in neat finger waves. Mark felt like he had stepped into a James Bond movie for a minute, before hearing Biggie Smalls start playing on the speakers. Nope, definitely back in 2015, he thought.

After getting near the bottom of his orange drink, he met up with Krystal again. She had a distressed look on her face, and was checking her phone constantly.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked, sipping his beverage.

"The caterer didn't show up. What am I supposed to do, serve nothing?" she barked in annoyance.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon, take a breath." Mark said, now feeling a small buzz.

"I sure hope so, or so help me I will take off my shoes and do damage." she threatened. "Where's lover boy?"

"He's probably enjoying all of the festivities you've so graciously paid for." Mark said, sneering over at Krystal.

"Ugh, you know I had to let him pay. The guy felt destroyed and guilty for what went down with Lee. Who was I to turn away his chance at redemption?" she pouted.

"Yeah, I figured. I just wish he wouldn't beat himself up so much. We all had a part to play in what happened." he said.

"So, are you two official yet? Or do I have to keep pretending you aren't sleeping together and aren't boyfriends still?" she sighed.

"We're not really putting a label on it just yet, I don't think." Mark said, confused.

"Do you not hear the song that's playing right now?" Krystal said, pointing her fingers towards the roof. "Even Beyonce agrees with me. If he wants you, he'll put a ring on it. Metaphorically speaking that is."

"We'll see. I still don't know how Jackson is going to deal with his family and all the pressure that comes from them, not to mention he hasn't really disclosed his sexuality to me specifically.

"Ugh, why do you have to do that? You just finished saying you two aren't into labels. Just accept his sexuality for what it is. He's Marksexual. Be happy." she smacked Mark's arm.

***

The mood of the dance took a melancholic turn once the DJ decided to dim the lights and lower a very old fashioned disco ball into the center of the dance floor. James Blunt's, "You're Beautiful" began to play delicately over the speakers. Krystal was busy running around entertaining everyone, and Mark still hadn't seen Jackson since they got there. He sipped on his third tequila sunrise, swaying his body slightly at the sad song that played. Just then, he felt a tap on his left shoulder.

"May I have this dance?" Jackson asked softly, presenting Mark with a small red rose. 

Mark took Jackson's hand and followed him to the dance floor. There was a small clearing near the center that the two boys slid into. Jackson was quick to pull Mark closer, leaving as little room for them to be apart as possible. Mark wrapped his arms around Jackson's neck, hugging the boy while he rested his face on Jackson's shoulder. Jackson led the slow dance, moving his feet slowly at the soft melodies, swaying back and forth gently. Mark could feel the warmth of Jackson's collarbone through his shirt, a feeling that made Mark become overwhelmed with emotions.

Jackson rested his head on the top of Mark's before speaking softly into his ear while they danced, "I want you."

Mark perked his head up at the sound and nearly head butted poor Jackson, "What was that?" he asked.

The two boys continued to dance, staring into each other's eyes now. Jackson was slightly taller, so he looked down towards the cute boy in front of him before repeating himself, "I said I want you."

"What does that mean?" Mark wondered. 

"I've seen this movie play out a million times before. You meet someone, become friends, then don't realize just how important they are before you hurt them and push them away. Well, that's exactly what I did to you. Then once you realize your feelings, it's too late. They're already with someone else. That happened to us, too." Jackson continued, "Except now I have been blessed with a second chance, and this time, I don't want our movie to end with me regretting not taking that one chance."

Mark's concern grew stronger as Jackson spoke, "So what are you getting to?" he asked calmly.

"That necklace. The one you're wearing." Jackson said, looking down at the silver chain, "It's my way of asking you to simply... be mine."

"Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Jackson Wang?" Mark said slowly with a smile in his quiet voice.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jackson responded seriously, hugging Mark tighter while they danced.

Mark was out of words, he could only nod his head up and down rapidly while he collapsed his smile into Jackson's shoulder. Jackson smiled back widely at Mark's answer, lifting him a few inches off the ground and swinging him gently around in two circles. The smile on Jackson's face only grew bigger as they circled, erupting into a light laugh. 

_"You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true."_ the song played on, while the new couple embraced. Jackson made a mental note of this night as being one of the best in his entire life.

_"Jackson Wang... mine.."_ Mark thought to himself while his boyfriend hugged him tightly. They continued to sway together like a single entity in the middle of the sparkling room, while everyone else seemed to fade away.

 


	17. Masks

"Help me glue this feather." Mark told Jackson, holding up a half-created cardboard wing. There was feathers scattered all over the apartment, and Mark was sweating furiously. 

"Wow, you're really going all out." Jackson said as he walked in, looking around the room as if there was a tornado that had gone through it.

"It's my first Halloween here, and I just want to look decent, that's all." Mark said gluing the feathers, concentrating so hard he stuck his tongue out a bit.

"So, you're going as an angel?" Jackson asked, leaning down to help. "Shouldn't be hard with that perfect skin and mesmerizing face."

Mark looked up at Jackson, smiled softly, and blew a kiss. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"Hey, as long as I get to slowly undress you out of whatever you create, I'm happy." Jackson said, sipping on his water bottle.

Mark's soft smile was gone. He was now giving Jackson a look saved only for the pits of hell.

"You're going as an angel too, you know." Mark informed Jackson, "Except you're going to be a dark, overcome-by-evil kind of angel. And I'm going to be the light one."

Jackson laughed, "Are you trying to tell me something sir?"

Mark pointed at a large plastic bag that was stuffed with string, glue, black feathers, glitter, and cardboard. "Get working, handsome."

The two boys sat around all afternoon creating their costumes, listening to music, and eating popcorn. Every now and again Jackson would distract Mark with a few kisses and surprise tackles, but other than that they were getting work done. Halloween was a week away, and they were going to another event that Krystal was planning.

Linda was home from the hospital now, and was busy decorating the lobby of the building with arrays of pumpkins, skeletons, and spiders webs. Mark and Jackson were in awe at how festive she had become. There wasn't a light bulb or ladder in sight, she had given up manual labor on account of her condition. Jackson had agreed to do some odd chores and work around the building, scoring him some reputation gains with the small woman, as well as 200$ off of rent for Mark, it was a win-win for Jacks.

"You drop that, I kill you." Linda scowled as Jackson balanced an orange paint bucket down the hallway. He had specific orders to paint 3 pumpkins on the front door window. Little did Linda know, Jackson was a bit of an artist. 

"You're gonna love this display, Linda. I swear." he responded to her threat. 

"Probably not. I not impressed easily." she said quickly. "Mark has mail. Bring to him." she said, sliding a package his way. 

Jackson stared at the package, confused. There was no return address, and the name was scribbled very horribly over the center of the envelope. He knew it was wrong to commit mail fraud, but he also knew that Mark was madly in love with him, so he proceeded to rip open the paper once Linda had retreated to her cave.

> To my love, Mark.
> 
> It's been so long since I've held those soft hands. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and hear your name whispering in my ears. My eyes are aching for the sight of you. What it meant to lose you, you'll never know. Just know, I would go back in time and change it all if I could. I'd change it, and I'd be with you now.
> 
> Halloween is around the corner, which means a lot of masks and frights. Speaking of hiding who we really are, why don't you take this precious time to take another look at the company you keep. Every one wears a mask, Mark. Some are better than others, but then again, you were never really that good at deciphering the truth. 
> 
> I hope this message finds you in high spirits and good health. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Unlike your father.
> 
> Love, Lee.

Jackson's heart beat rose steadily while reading the letter, until he read the final words which made him ball his fist and slam it into the marble wall. There was blood on his knuckles now, a deep crimson red that matched the look on his face.

"Jackson, what the hell? Are you alright?" Krystal said, coming in the front entrance with three shopping bags. "You're bleeding. Here, let me help."

As she began rubbing a handkerchief on Jackson's hand, he stared off into space, his mind racing a million miles a minute.

"You have to be more careful. You're not invincible." she told him. "Where's Mark?"

"He's upstairs, I just came down to get his mail..." Jackson said, trailing off back into space.

Krystal took the letter from Jackson's hand, reading it quickly. After she was finished she had the same expression on her face that Jackson had a minute ago.

"Does he know yet?" she asked quietly, looking over to the boy.

"No." he said calmly. "I'm going to go tell him."

"Wait!" Krystal squeaked, her arms locking Jackson into place. "I don't know if that's the best idea. We just got rid of Lee, and Mark is still recovering from all of that. Is it really the best idea to bring this drama back into his life?"

"How can you even ask that Kris? You and I have lied to him way too much as it is. I've got one shot with Mark and I'm not fucking it up over some ridiculous maniac who wants to destroy us. I can't do that again to Mark. I won't." he said, pushing his way passed Krystal.

"At least call his father." she said, her back turned to Jackson. "I have his phone number."

Mr. Tuan was not picking his phone up, which alarmed Jackson even more. 

"I'm telling Mark." he said, giving the phone back to Krystal and entering the elevator. Mark was now sitting in the bathroom, practicing his angelic makeup look for his costume.

***

"Babe?" Jackson called, the letter in his hand as he entered the apartment. 

"In here!" Mark shouted from the bathroom.

"Have you spoken to Papa Tuan recently?" Jackson inquired.

"Yeah, last night. He wants me to come down for break. Why?" the concern in Mark's voice was evident.

Jackson said nothing, handing the paper over to Mark with a disappointed look on his face.

"You opened my mail? Isn't that like, illegal?" Mark giggled, grabbing the letter from his boyfriend.

His laughter was immediately cut short by reading the first few words. 

"Who wrote this?!" Mark asked before he read on.

"Just keep reading it, Mark." Jackson ushered.

Mark finished the letter, then sat on the floor on the bathroom with his head leaned against the sink cupboard. 

"Wow. Even from jail he's cocky and manipulative." Mark scoffed. "My dad is fine though. I spoke with him."

"Are you sure? What did he want you to visit for?" Jackson asked.

"It was just a regular visit that we had planned for a while now. Nothing alarming." Mark answered. "I was going to see if you'd like to come, actually."

Jackson sat next to Mark on the floor, grabbing the boy's hand in his own. They interlocked fingers and sat there for a minute in silence.

"Yeah, of course I'll come." Jackson finally said. "But you aren't more concerned about this letter?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I mean it's worrying, but we both know how Lee is. He's crazy. And besides, my dad is a thousand miles away in a different country. There's nothing he can do to my family. He's not that powerful." Mark said, putting his hand on Jackson's face.

Jackson rubbed his face into Mark's hand, allowing the boy to relieve him. "Alright, I believe you." he said.

"Ugh, I can't believe he said he loved me. God, what does he even know about love." Mark said to himself angerily. 

"Yeah, you're right. He's definitely got a screw or two loose, or eight." Jackson laughed.

"What happened to your hand babe?" Mark asked, lifting Jackson's hand into the light.

"I was a bit upset about the letter." Jackson confessed. "I just want to make sure I am able to protect you. I don't want to take anything for granted. Not anymore."

Mark kissed Jackson's hand, to which he winced a bit at the sting.

"My tough bodyguard. You have nothing to worry about." he said, moving the kiss from Jackson's hand to his lips.

The two boys kissed slowly for a few minutes before Jackson used his foot to slam the door shut. Mark was startled by the noise for a second, but continued the kiss. They were connected at the lips as Jackson stood up, Mark right there standing with him. Jackson made his way backward, walking into the bathtub. He leaned down, still kissing Mark, and turned the water on.

Mark's lust grew as he realized what Jackson was doing. He lifted his shirt, interrupting their kiss to throw the clothing to the floor. Jackson mirrored Mark, removing his shirt and pants as well.

"I've wanted to do this with you for so long." Mark said, running his hands over Jackson's chest.

"I know. You talk in your sleep. I can hear you moaning my name." Jackson said, smirking at Mark.

Mark's face filled with embarrassment at the comment, he put his head down.

"Don't worry, it's the hottest thing ever." Jackson said, lifting Mark's head back up with a finger. "Do it again for me. Say my name."

"J-Jackson..." Mark said softly.

"Yeah. My name sounds so perfect coming from your mouth." Jackson said, closing the gap between them and hugging Mark.

Jackson slid a hand down the lower part of Mark's back, running his fingers over the divots and dimples that lined the surface of the blonde haired boy's skin. He made his way down, picking at the waistband that separated him from what he wanted. After prying it open and letting it snap back down gently, Jackson moved his entire hand under Mark's briefs. Mark leaned closer into Jackson, the attention moving fully onto the hand that was now firmly grasping at his butt.

"Get in." Mark told Jackson sternly, taking a step into the shower and removing his underwear. Jackson followed Mark, his brown hair getting engulfed by the stream of hot water. Jackson wasted no time, turning Mark around and pushing him up against the tile. Mark gave up control, letting Jackson pin him to the wall. There was a pair of lips kissing at the back of his neck, then moving down to his shoulder blades. Jackson's mouth explored his boyfriend, kissing every inch of his skin, taking it all in attentively. When he reached the special area he had been teasing before, he got onto his knees. He kissed Mark's left cheek first, biting a little at the end of each peck, leaving small love bites where ever he chose. Mark smiled to himself at the small nibbles, enjoying the attention he was getting.

Just then Mark felt a warm and wet sensation, but it wasn't coming from the water. Jackson had began to lick around the entrance of Mark. There was a couple tongue flicks, and some more kisses before Mark realized what was happening. The feeling was completely foreign to Mark, and he was a bit abrasive at the new feelings. He put his trust into Jackson, wanting to make sure that they both enjoyed themselves. Mark relaxed his hole, allowing Jackson to move his tongue onto it. Mark felt a few shivers go down his back, despite being surrounded by warm water. Every lick of Jackson's tongue sent Mark into waves of pleasure. He felt himself relax more and more until he was actually pushing his ass back into Jackson's face. Jackson repositioned himself and used both his hands to control Mark's waist, becoming more and more enthralled in the moment. His licks and kisses were becoming stronger, almost changing to a sort of biting, eating manner. 

Mark turned his head slightly and looked down, he saw that Jackson was stroking himself, and the sight made Mark hard instantly. After a few minutes more of eating out Mark, Jackson rose to his feet again. Mark turned around and came face to face with his boyfriend, wanting desperately to taste himself. Mark kissed Jackson, his tongue finding it's way into the boy's mouth. Jackson allowed Mark to massage his tongue a bit with his own, moving around and sucking playfully. The water was streaking down their noses, causing their kiss to be a lot wetter than usual. Mark had to stop to catch his breath every once and a while, the steam making it harder to breathe than normal.

"My turn." Mark said out of breath, taking Jackson by the waist and moving him into the wall where Mark was just a second ago.

Mark found his way onto his knees now, with Jackson staring down, his eyes filled with lust. Jackson was rock hard, and Mark was barely able to move his dick very far without it springing back. He did this a few times, teasing Jackson who was patiently waiting for release. After a few more times, Jackson couldn't take it anymore. He assumed control again, grabbing Mark's face and pushing his dick down the boy's throat. Mark gladly took Jackson into his mouth, using his tongue to circle and prod at his head. He gagged a little when Jackson pushed further in, but fought through it in order to have Jackson as far in as he could be. Water was mixing with saliva as Mark began stroking Jackson, the wet combination making for perfect lube. Jackson titled his head back at the motions, his face warped into a grimace of pleasure. 

"Oh, fuuuck." he hummed as Mark continued. He snapped out of his pleasure induced state and looked down, grabbing Mark's face and squeezing it unti Mark was making a fish face. Mark stared blankly up at Jackson, who leaned down quickly and gave him a kiss on the mouth before shoving his face back into his dick.

Mark was turned on so much by how loving, yet rough Jackson was with him. The idea of never having to feel unsafe around his boyfriend had translated so well into his feelings while having sex with Jackson. He knew that he wouldn't ever be hurt by Jackson, so he was able to easily allow Jackson to have his way.

After sucking Jackson for five minutes, he could tell the boy was getting close. 

"I want it in my mouth, Jackson." Mark said presumptively. "I wanna taste you."

Jackson nodded swiftly, thrusting his hips into Mark's face stronger and faster.

"Fuck. I'm cumming." Jackson said and he tensed up and thrust one last time into Mark's mouth. The warm, thick climax shot down Mark's throat, making him work hard to keep his mouth in place. Every drop of Jackson was swallowed in one fast motion by Mark. 

When Jackson was finished pulsing his muscles at the orgasm, he picked Mark up and kissed his sticky mouth. 

"Good boy." he told Mark, giving him another kiss, this time on his cheek.

Jackson put a small drop of shampoo onto his hands and started working the bubbles into Mark's hair.

"What about me?" Mark pouted.

"You'll get yours, don't worry. I'll never forget about you." Jackson said, lathering the shampoo behind Mark's ears. "Just wait, I'll make it worth your while in the bedroom after this."

Mark looked down, Jackson was still just as hard as he was when they first entered the shower.

"You wanna fuck me?" he said, staring at Jackson's erection. "Are you able to go again?" he said, puzzled.

"Not normally, but you do something to me that I can't explain." Jackson said, rinsing Mark's hair down. "I feel like I could go all day and all night."

Mark smiled proudly, closing his eyes tight as the liquid ran over his face and onto the floor of the tub.

"All day  _and_ all night, eh?" Mark said slyly, "I could get used to that." he smiled.


	18. Angels...

October 31st. The month was nearly at its cold and frigid end as Halloween marked the coming of November. The sun was retreating into the horizon sooner and sooner as the days crawled on, making it seem later and later than it actually was. Mark was alone in the coffee shop, completing the mundane tasks of closing up and cleaning. The entire street was pitch black, the only light being the faint and flickering one that was coming from the back office of Remedy. Mark scrubbed the coffee pots and arranged them from cleanest to dirtiest, wondering just why they needed so many now that it was his duty to clean them. While he cleaned, he went over the night's plan and began to get excited, thinking of wearing the costume he had slaved over for the last week. 

Mark went to the back, flicked off a number of switches which seemed to control every light in the shop, turned the music off, and then walked to the front door to lock it up before leaving. The bell gave a small jingle as Mark fidgeted with the lock, the sound echoing through the empty and dark street. It reminded him of just how alone he was, and made him shiver slightly. Mark cursed to himself under his breath, becoming annoyed as he continued battling with the handle. The ringing on the top of the door got louder as Mark shook it. In the corner of his eye Mark caught the outline of a shadow moving. The shadow was a few blocks down, and he couldn't tell if the figure was coming towards him or away from him. Mark could feel the unmistakable feeling of fear creep into his chest, making him even more determined to get the lock figured out so that he could leave.

After finally winning over the contraption he shoved the ring of keys into his jacket pocket, which made a messy clank of sounds that bounced around the houses and echoed down the street. There was only one light illuminating the street now that the shop was closed, and it came from a street lamp that was a block away from Mark, its dim yellow glow barely showing the sidewalk below it. Mark zipped his jacket up to his chin, let out a cold shiver, and made his way toward the flickering and depressed street pole's direction. He couldn't tell if the shadow behind him was still there because of the darkness, but he had watched enough horror movies to know that it's not a good idea to constantly check. Instead, Mark kept a calm and determined pace, focusing on nothing more than getting home to his warm apartment with his two best friends: Krystal and Jackson. Tonight they were getting ready to go to Krystal's Halloween Extravaganza, and Mark didn't want to be late. It was going to be held at a corn maze near the outskirts of town, something that surprised even Mark. He knew that Kris was daring and liked to push the envelope, but he never expected for her to create a dance somewhere in the middle of no where surrounded by rows of growing vegetables. 

Two more blocks, Mark told himself, now almost being able to Make his building out through the dense layer of wet fog. The air was biting at Mark's thighs as he walked, making him lean down to rub them quickly. As he knelt, he was finally able to sneak a small glance behind him. The road was empty, except for the figure of what looked like a tall and slender man walking a few blocks behind him. Mark's heart began to race as he stared at the shadow, who was now standing completely still under the yellow flicker of light Mark was just at. The shadow was of a man, and seemed to stop dead its tracks as it caught Mark's gaze. Mark couldn't make out any features of the man, but noticed he was wearing a very tall top hat by the outline on his head. After standing back upright, Mark was transfixed on the figure, standing just as still as he was, two blocks ahead, staring back. The two had a stand off for a few minutes, and Mark's fear only grew and grew as he now realized something in this silent stare down: this thing was definitely following him. The soft zipping and honking of cars in the far distance was the only noise that filled Mark's ears, aside from the beating of his own heart that he was amazed hadn't exploded through his chest wall. Just then the figure tilted his head to the side slightly, then picked its feet up and began to sprint like an Olympic athlete, right in Mark's direction. For once in his life Mark couldn't move. The image of this dark and slender figure coming at him at full force was enough to paralyze the boy. He suddenly couldn't feel the cold wind biting at his thighs, as his entire body was now filled with a cool chill. Mark knew he needed to do something, but he continued to stand there in the middle of the road, as the shadow got closer and closer. Mark looked down at his denim covered legs, trying to figure out why exactly he couldn't move them. He realized now that his hands were trembling. When he looked back up to see how close the man was, he was met with an empty road. The flickering orange light where the man used to be was now showing nobody. He couldn't hear the tapping of the shoes of the man either. The entire area was vacant. Mark didn't know whether to be thankful or to be even more worried. As he stood there, petrified, his phone buzzed eagerly in his pocket.

"H-Hello.." Mark asked nervously, not knowing what to expect.

"Marky! What's taking so long?! Wahh, I thought you were off at 8PM today! Those girls better not be making you stay late on the one night I need you here. I'll fight them for you Mark, I swear!" Krystal shouted back through the phone. 

Mark could feel the familiar warmth of blood rush back into his legs, fingers, and face as they tingled all at once from the sound of his friend's voice. Krystal's voice appeared to be the key to unlocking Mark's limbs, and he couldn't be happier for that. His heart rate began to steady out, as he took another quick look around him to see if the shadow was still there. Nothing.

"I'm almost home, Kris. About three or four more minutes. I just got... preoccupied." he answered, his voice still trembling.

"Aish! Well hurry I want to leave in an hour." Krystal said, hanging up the phone before he could answer.

***

"Why the hell didn't you call me?!" Jackson roared, pacing around the bedroom while Mark sat on the bed like a puppy who just tore up the couch pillows and was being scolded.

"I don't know, I just didn't think it would be necessary." Mark slowly answered the rage filled boy.

"You could've been kidnapped, assaulted, or worse - you could've been killed Mark!" Jackson's voice went from anger and then cracked at the end of the sentence in a soft and concerned tone. "You could've been killed..." he said again to himself, going to sit down beside the boy.

"I'm fine. I promise. Look!" Mark said, using his hands to squish his unscathed face together at his boyfriend. 

Jackson was completely unaffected by Mark's antics. He turned his head to look Mark in the eyes before he spoke calmly and assertively. "You know that I could've swung down and picked you up. It would've only taken five minutes. You know it's not safe to walk home alone in the dark, especially someone your size. Tonight just proved that."

Mark knew that Jackson was only concerned for his safety, but the lack of trust he had in Mark made the boy feel slightly offended and helpless; however, he said nothing, only stared at Jackson with a guilty and shame filled look.

"Babe, I'll call you next time. I swear." he said very quietly, using his hand to caress Jackson's leg. "Can't we just forget this? I'm fine, nothing happened. It was probably just a drunk homeless man. They're crazy around here, you know that."

"Fine. But anything strange, out of the ordinary, or worrying happens tonight - or any night for that matter - and you tell me immediately. I'm not taking any chances." Jackson said, puffing his chest up again. "I'll kill that fucker, I swear to god."

Mark realized now that Jackson was alluding to Lee. The mere thought of his name made Mark uneasy. 

"You don't even know that Lee isn't still in jail. Your uncle hasn't told you that yet." Mark argued. 

"Yes but he's not an idiot, you know he's got friends and connections on the outside." Jackson shot back.

Mark began to smirk a little, "Jacks you sound like we're in some sort of crime drama. He's not going to get hit men to 'ice me' or some thugs to come 'do me in.'"

Jackson tuned his head once more with the same angered look on his face, making Mark instantly regret the comment.

"Sure, poke fun at it. Laugh. Whatever. I'm trying to help you!" Jackson yelled. "I don't want you getting hurt under my watch or under any for that matter. I'll never let that happen!"

Krystal swung the door open and stood at the entrance like a cowboy, new in town, stepping into a saloon. 

"You fucker have five minutes to finish... whatever this is-" her fingers frilled around for a second at the two boys, "And get dressed. I see two adorable boys and no wings on either of you. Chop chop. Five minutes." she finished as she walked back out and slammed the door behind her.

"She's right. Let's start getting dressed. I promise I will let you know anything that happens from now on. I don't want you upset like this." Mark said, still rubbing Jackson's thigh.

Jackson loosened up a bit at Mark's words. "Fine, but you promised." he said back, giving Mark a kiss on the forehead.

***

The three friends pulled up to the party in Jackson's black SUV, the tinted windows adding to the ominous presence in the air. Electronic dance music was heard from inside the barn where the dance was to be held. The barn was massive, a dark brown color with white trimmings and some broken wood pieces hanging off the door. Very Halloween, Mark thought as he stepped out of the vehicle. Jackson squeezed his hand gently, smiling playfully at him as they both walked towards the party.

The air only got foggier and damper since Mark got off work, and it was now freezing. Jackson noticed Mark's shivers and put a naked arm around his shoulders, squeezing Mark into his warm body as they walked. Mark was in a white tank top and white skinny jeans, with large beautiful white wings erupting from his back. There was a shimmery silver and gold glitter around his eyes, surrounding his pretty brown eyes that were outlined with a jet black liner. His blonde hair matched his costume so well, making Mark look and feel angelic. Jackson was equally as beautiful, but in a more rugged and dangerous kind of way. His dark brown hair fell into his face, and Krystal had given him very dark and smoky eyes. He looked evil, in the best way. Jackson's wings were thinner than Marks, but only because they were half made out of leather and were more menacing. They nearly dragged on the floor as Jackson walked, the torn and ragged cloth flowing in the cold air. Jackson was wearing a black fitted tank, with black jeans that hugged his legs all the way down. He wore pointed leather boots that had a silver trim around the back heel. 

"You guys look incredible. I'd almost say you were the best dressed tonight. Ya know, if it weren't for me. Cause let's be real, I'm smokin' all you guys." Krystal said, doing a small twirl.

She was dressed in a black shiny latex one-piece that had a sweetheart neckline. Her boots came all the way up to her middle thigh, and they were pointed and clicked when she walked. She had an elaborately jeweled black masquerade mask on that brought out her devious brown eyes. Her hair was sleek and straight, coming down and falling at her shoulders. On top of her head was a cat ear head band. Krystal was totally into the whole 'pick-something-innocent-and-turn-it-sexy' kind of costumes. Her fishnet tights had small rips in the thread which added to her catwoman-esque look. 

The three friends walked into the barn and were amazed to see the array of costumes before them. The entire cast of The Avengers were there, Walter White from Breaking Bad, Oscar the Grouch, a few sexy nurses, Freddy Krueger, etc. Mark was pleased to see he was the only angel in the building, aside from the dark one he was nestled into.

"I'll get us some punch. I need a drink." Krystal said, moving instinctively towards the beverage table.

"Let's explore." Jackson said, peering around the room. He pulled Mark by the hand and the two of them made a round through the crowds of zombies and ghouls.

The multicolored strobe lights made for a very high school dance sort of vibe, and Mark realized that there were a lot of minors there. 

"So I guess this wasn't just the GSA from school, eh Kris?" Mark asked when Krystal returned with punch. She handed the two boys their drinks before rolling her eyes.

"I had to extend the invite to the neighboring schools and communities if I wanted to use this barn and corn maze." she groaned, "And that included high schools and community soccer leagues. Which means..." she moved her hand in a revealing kind of motion towards the crowd of high school boys, "This." her fake smile was incredibly obvious. "And, this." she said, sipping the non-alcoholic drink.

Mark laughed and took a sip of the sweet drink. 

"Don't worry. I got you guys covered." she said, slipping a small silver studded flask out of her bra. "Liquid fun." she said, pouring a small amount of vodka into the three cups.

_The Monster Mash_ began to play on the speakers, and Mark giggled to himself, knowing that he needed to get a breath of fresh air. He gave Jackson a loving peck on the lips and slipped out the back entrance. There was a bonfire in the back, with a number of costumed kids making jokes and cooking smores over the flames. Mark smiled, Dixie Cup in hand, and walked around the area slowly, observing all the festivities. A pair of girls were holding each other's hair back, taking turns bobbing for apples while a group of boys laughed at them. Mark continued to walk through the fenced in area until he came to the end. There was a sign that said "CORN MAZE ENTRANCE" on it written in red paint. Mark looked around, confused at the lack of people lined up for it. The boy who was stationed at the entrance booth was slumped in his chair, scrolling mindlessly through his phone as if it'd been empty all night.

_'Maybe people are too scared to go in.'_ Mark thought to himself. He walked past the booth slowly, and the boy didn't even notice him. The corn was a flushed out yellow color, faded from the cold. The corn stalks were thick, and towered over Mark at an astonishing nine feet. He walked into the maze until he could no longer see the fence or the booth, wandering curiously through the rows and rows of corn. Mark took a sip of his drink before spotting what he could've swore was a person walking through the row of corn. It was a very fast movement, and since the rows were only a foot apart, it was over in a flash. The hair on the back of Mark's neck raised, shivering him like pins and needles. He took a step closer before stopping himself. _'Jackson wouldn't be happy with this. He's probably looking for me.'_ Mark thought, attempting to retreat out of the field. However, at that moment Mark found his legs paralyzed again, not allowing the boy to go anywhere. There was a snapping sound of a branch breaking, causing Mark to shoot his gaze into the direction of the dark field. Standing about 30 yards away completely still, tilting his head to the side was the dark figured man with the slender body and top hat. Had he really followed Mark all this way? Mark dropped his drink at the sight of the man, who was a lot taller than Mark remembered. The man's top hat was almost level with the top of the corn stalks, putting him at around seven or so feet. Mark felt his heart began to pound as he fell down into the dirt, his white pants getting messy and his wings ruffling the leaves of the plants. The figure made a very quick and sudden tilt of its head to the other side at the sight of Mark falling, almost in anticipation. Mark backed himself up slowly, clawing at the dirt for traction as he inched himself away from the figure. Just then the shadow giggled like a small woman and made a mad sprint in Mark's direction. Mark made a startled sound before attempting to stand and run, but before he could make it a few feet his legs locked up on him again, knocking him back to the floor. Laying on the cold ground, huffing in fear as the shadowed man ran towards him at incredible speed, Mark turned his face to see his predator. At that moment the moon broke through the shielding clouds and offered a window of light where Mark was just able to make out the figure's features. The top half of the man was still guarded by shadows but Mark was able to level his eyes with the ground he was on and catch a glimpse of the man's feet. Mark's eyes widened in pure horror as he saw that the man who was giggling and sprinting towards him didn't have feet at all - he had hooves.

 


	19. Versus

  
  


"Don't worry. I got you guys covered." Krystal laughed, reaching for the silver flask that was pinned between her breast and her arm. "Liquid fun." she said, pouring a small amount of vodka into Mark and Jackson's cup.

Krystal was beginning to get the hang of running these events, so long as she had some alcohol in her hand and ignored most all of the people that spoke to her. _The Monster Mash_ began to play, and Krystal immediately rolled her eyes.  _'I told the DJ no cheesy festive music. Only dance hall and pop.'_ she thought. Immediately she slipped the flask back into her latex bra and left her two friends, heading towards the DJ booth.

As she pushed through the crowds of people, she noticed two people behind the DJ's booth, not one. There was a short boy with a mix of blonde and pink in his hair bobbing away with headphones and a taller and slimmer boy next to him poking around on the laptop.

"Hey, what the hell man? I specifically put in the email to NOT play this kind of stuff. What are we, twelve?!" Krystal shouted, tapping her hand impatiently on the table to get the boy's attention.

As the DJ looked up from the table he was hit by Krystal's beauty, and he needed a moment to fully come to grips with it. He looked as if he'd really seen a ghost.

"I want you to stick to Top 40s pop from now on, alright? At least you can't screw that up." she said, turning away quickly, her straight hair flicking towards the boys.

"B-Bro, take over for me for a second." the DJ stuttered to his friend who slid into his place once the boy stepped down from the stage.

Krystal was already halfway to the other side of the barn, doing her lap around the evening to spot anything that was out of hand or not up to her standards. Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She sighed slowly, then turned around in a fluid motion.

"What." she demanded to the DJ who looked out of breath as if he had sprinted after her for miles.

"I just... I just wanted to say hello!" he spit out over his huffing.

Krystal eyed the boy up and down and sipped her drink delicately, "Hi." she snapped.

"I'm Kunpimook. But my friends call me BamBam." the shy boy spoke, moving his pink and blonde fringe to the side.

"What kind of a name is BamBam?" Krystal laughed. "Come to think of it, both names sound odd to me."

"Well, that's the thing, I'm from Thailand originally. My mom gave me that name. But BamBam is easier for people to pronounce and it sort of just stuck with me growing up." BamBam said back, smiling shyly.

"Well, BamBam. I'm busy. So see ya." Krystal said, turning her back to him for a second time before strutting away.

As she reached the food and beverage table, she did a quick one-over of the snacks that they were offering, surprised to see how beautifully decorated the cupcakes and cookies were. She had really outdone herself, she thought.

Just then Jackson came gliding by, grabbing Krystal by her shoulder. 

Krystal reflexively moved the hand off her shoulder before growling to herself, "BamBam I'm serious. Get lost."

"BamBam? The fuck? Kris it's me." Jackson said surprisingly.

Krystal snapped her head backward in embarrassment. "Oh.. What's up?" she asked slowly.

"I can't find Mark, and he's not answering his phone. Do you know where he went?" Jackson said calmly.

"Ummm, no. I don't. But you know Mark, he floats around all willy-nilly getting himself into all sorts of situations. He's probably outside having a conversation with eighth graders about photosynthesis or something, that big nerd." Krystal chuckled.

"Yeah you're right. I'll go check. See ya in a bit." Jackson answered, heading towards the back door entrance, his wings leaving a trail of black glitter behind him.

"Yup, bye." Krystal sighed, looking around for anything else she could oversee. She took a massive gulp of her drink, finishing it, before crushing it with one hand and throwing it into the waste bin beside the table. She could never understand why Mark was so prone to getting lost and having things go wrong in his life. The thought made her both sad for Mark and happy she wasn't a magnet for disaster as well.

***

By now Krystal was buzzed and enjoying her second concoction of vodka and punch. The night was about half over and she was reveling in the laughter of the people on the dance floor as well as the screams coming from the people in the haunted house. Everything was going as planned except for the fact that her hired DJ was now stalking her.

"You know, you have really awesome legs. I mean-" BamBam mumbled, "They're awesome. But like, I know there's more to you than your legs. Haha."

"You're really, really bad at talking to girls, just so you know." Krystal said, not even looking at the boy.

"Trust me, I am. It's just the really pretty ones that have me speaking in tongues and tripping over my words." he answered, moving closer to her on the bench.

"If you touch me I will hurt you, severely." Krystal whispered, tilting her head in his direction slightly. "These heels aren't just for show."

BamBam erupted in laughter, scaring Krystal a bit. "Wow, you're really funny too. Brains, beauty, and humor to top it all off." he giggled.

Krystal sighed again, realizing there wasn't much she could do to get the awkward boy to leave her alone. She decided that she better make it worth her time.

"So, what made you accept the DJ invitation I sent you?" she spoke quickly, turning her attention to him.

"Well, to be honest it was the money at first. I've never been offered that kind of pay for something as easy as... this." he said, looking out into the flashy dance floor.

"Well, I have some powerful people backing my events. So money is never an issue. We only get the best of the best, and unfortunately... according to reviews, that was you." she said, sipping her drink in spite.

"Wow, that's almost a compliment." BamBam blushed. "I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, whatever. If I'd known you'd play _Thiller_ three times and _The Monster Mash_ I would've let someone else take the job." she quickly retorted.

BamBam ignored her remark, focusing on the happiness he was now feeling. "So, what made you want to get into event work and organizing these things?" he asked her.

"Well, it gives me a sense of purpose. I go to UBC, I'm a first year. I figured taking on the job of event planning for the Gay and Straight Alliance would give me a chance to make friends and flex my creative muscles." she said back.

"I think it's amazing that you're doing this for the Gay Community. I mean, I'm not gay myself but I have a nephew who is, and it's really tough in middle school. Kids can be so cruel. At least here... they have a place where they can hold their girlfriend's hand and not be judged or pushed into a locker." BamBam said, motioning towards a younger lesbian couple who were embracing on the dance floor. 

"Eh, guess I never thought of it that way." Krystal said to herself slowly. "I sort of just did it for me. That's sounds selfish."

"Well, regardless." BamBam said inching closer to her, "You're making a difference to these people. And it's an incredibly admiral thing."

Krystal caught herself blushing, and she quickly turned her face away to smother her smile into her cup.

"Here, I'm going to give you my number. My brother and I do DJ work, maybe you will use us again in the future. You know, if you like me- I mean us!" he quickly said.

Krystal stared up at BamBam who was now standing, looking like he was getting ready to leave as he was putting his jacket on.

"Yeah... sure. I'll do that." she said, her response surprising him and even herself.

"Awesome!" BamBam blurted out a little too loud. He nodded at Kris and made his way back to the DJ table.

Krystal watched as the boy packed up his things, and gave his brother a high five. She chuckled to herself and shook her head with a slight smile.

***

"So you don't know where he is?! Oh my god. Call him again." Krystal yelled in the parking lot, the event now over.

"He's not answering! I've called him sixteen times." Jackson shouted back, pacing around the SUV. "Ugh, I'm getting so worried. I hate this feeling."

"Mark's going to get a heel up his ass when I find him." Krystal uttered to herself, pulling her jacket over her shoulders to fight off the cold.

"Wait in the car Kris. I'll turn the heat on for you." Jackson said, still on the phone waiting for Mark to pick up. Krystal nodded and hopped into the passenger's seat.

Inside the car, she pulled her phone out to see if she would have some luck getting a hold of him. Just then she remembered the app that Mark had made her download, _Latitude,_ when he was worried about Krystal's random disappearances from class. The app was supposed to use GPS location software to track and pinpoint where the other party was on a map. That way, Mark would always know where Krystal was, and vice versa.

She opened the app quickly and pressed on 'Monkey Boy.' The phone's map system came onto the screen and there was a small globe swirling in the center with the words 'Loading...' overtop. 

"C'mon... c'mon..." Krystal said softly to herself. Just then there was a small buzz on the map and a red pin that landed smack dab near Krystal's location. He was close. Very close. She rolled her window down and peered around the grassy area, the last few cars were leaving the parking lot as the parents came to pick their kids up. 

"Jackson, get in! I've found Mark." she called for the boy who slammed his phone in his pocket and jumped into the driver's seat immediately.

"It says he's about two kilometers behind us, near the corn maze entrance." she said, reading the blinking map.

"What is he doing there?" Jackson asked suspiciously, "The corn maze is creepy, and nobody has even used it for years. We weren't even given permission to use it as part of our party."

"Yeah... I don't know." Krystal shrugged.

As they raced down the dark gravel road towards the corn maze, they heard the howls of a wolf off in the distance. The atmosphere became a lot creepier now that the roar and energy of the partiers were gone. There was a eerie stillness in the air as the fog floated around, slowly enveloping everything that it touched. The headlights on Jackson's car lit up the banner that was above the entrance to the corn maze. The same blood red paint spelling out the name.

"Call him again." Kystal demanded.

Jackson and Kris got out of the car and made their way down the path to the now dark and empty toll booth. Just then they heard the faint sound of a buzz. Krystal's ears perked up as she got closer and closer to the booth. Sitting on the chair was Mark's phone, buzzing violently at the onslaught of phone calls. 

"Seriously Mark?" Jackson said, hanging up the phone and grabbing Mark's.

Krystal looked down towards the dirt ground and noticed the shimmer of feathers and glitter. 

"Jackson, look!" she said, pointing towards her discovery. "He's probably in there."

They both stood there silently, at the entrance, staring off into the foggy and dark abyss that was the corn maze. The stalks swayed slowly in the breeze, creating a ominous flutter of sounds that sounded like people running through them.

"That is seriously creepy. I doubt Mark would go anywhere near it." Krystal said, getting closer to Jackson.

Jackson put an arm around his friend, warming her with his body. "I don't think he would either, but we have to go check. That's my baby."

Krystal reluctantly nodded, and the two made their way into the first row of corn. The trail of glitter was getting more and more scarce as they walked, until the couldn't see any at all.

"Well, it goes cold here..." Kris said, pulling her phone out to use the flash light app. "What should we do?"

Jackson knelt down on his one leg, examining the ground like some sort of wild man tracker. He ran his fingers over the footprints that were frozen into the dirt, trying to figure out if they were Mark's or not.

"C'mon babe, show me where you are..." Jackson uttered under his breath in a worried tone.

Suddenly they heard a scream in the distance, the shaky voice matching Mark's. Jackson stood up and began running at super human speed further into the dark field, leaving Krystal behind.

"Jackson, wait!" she shouted, waving her hand frantically.

"Mark!! Where are you!!! Mark!!!" Jackson shouted desperately, his eyes darting around in every direction as he ran. The feathers on his back were flying off as he ran, leaving a trail behind him in the vertical row. 

Again, another scream shot out into the sky. It was one of pain, and it made Jackson's heart do a back flip. He could feel the blood rushing into his hands and feet, making him run faster towards the sound.

"Mark! Please, where are you?!" he said, his voice breaking in anxiety.

The trail of wind that Jackson had stirred up from running made the fog funnel into the rows of corn, almost like a smoke machine, erasing any trace of the boy from Krystal's vision. She stood there, her flashlight barely making any light through all the fog. The air was only getting colder and colder, and now she found herself alone amongst the corn, not knowing where either of her friends were.


	20. ... Demons

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"What are you doing this for?! What do you want from me?!" Mark shouted for the third time.

His cries continued to fall onto deaf ears as the strange man in a tuxedo and top hat moved towards him slowly, the sounds of his hooves clicking against the cold ground. As he got closer and was eventually standing over Mark, another voice chimed in, one that was unfamiliar to Mark. 

"Yoseob, I think that's enough. God, you're so fucking creepy." another man wearing a tuxedo said as he approached from the darkness and into the clearing where Mark was laying. 

The three men sat there in silence, surrounded by tall rows of corn, the only light coming from the bright and full moon above them.

"Awh, I was having fun though!" the man in the top hat complained, taking his mask off. 

Mark instantly knew the face that was hidden underneath. It was the baby-faced bartender from the orientation dance. The boy stuck his hand out to help Mark up, which confused the blonde boy.

"Here, get up, you're filthy." Yoseob said, gesturing his hand towards Mark again.

Mark reluctantly accepted the boy's hand. Just as Mark wiped the dirt from his knees and began to stand up, a swift kick to his stomach had his entire body in pain. He fell back to the ground and rolled a bit at the impact, groaning and wheezing as the air left his chest. Before he had a chance to process what had happened, another kick met the side of his cheek. The boots that Yoseob were wearing were hard and jagged, drawing blood from Mark's pale skin with every kick. 

"Enough, Yoseob. This wasn't part of the plan." the other boy said, motioning for Yoseob to stop. 

"Oh c'mon Jay. Just having a little fun. Lighten up." Yoseob smirked back, staring down at Mark who was coughing helplessly and squirming around in pain.

"Regardless, we need him alive and cognizant if we're going to get this video back to the client. So cut it out and help him up." Jay said back. "And take those fucking hooves off. You're starting to scare even me."

Yoseob mocked Jay a bit before removing his elaborate costume. "Fine. But Halloween means the world to me, this is the one time I can live out all of my crazy wardrobe fantasies." Once he was only wearing a tux and nothing else, he seemed significantly shorter and less threatening - almost friendly. This is exactly the vibe Mark had gotten from Yoseob the last time they spoke, which is the reason he was so surprised to be met with such violence and hate by him.

"Hi, I'm Jay Park. You don't know me, but you've met my partner Yoseob. Don't worry about him, he's a bit of a freak. Looks aren't everything. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a dark alley with that boy, that's for sure." Jay spoke softly, kneeling over Mark who was still on the ground trying his best to mask the pain he was feeling. "And you're Mark Tuan, am I right? 22, first year UBC student, barista, dancer, martial arts tricker... Am I getting warm? You know, it was actually kind of fun stalking you. Yoseob seemed to be very skilled at knowing where you were at all times, and was even ballsy enough to talk to you when he was parading around as a bartender. He nearly blew our cover, but of course we always get what we want."

Mark looked up at the man who was talking to him and mustered up enough courage to spit blood onto the man's face. The man didn't even flinch as the red drops landed on his face. He instead closed his eyes slowly, clearly annoyed, and then quickly opened them as his right fist went flying right into Mark's face.

"AHHHH!!!!" Mark screamed at the punch, the impact causing him to be temporarily blinded by what he could only assume were stars.

As Jay stood up, he took a step onto Mark's face, pressing it hard into the cold ground. The pressure under his foot got more intense as he spoke.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Marky. We can do this the hard way or we can do this the easy way. You don't really have a choice though, if you want to be able to walk for the rest of your life." he threatened, stepping down on Mark harder with every word until the blonde boy was screaming in agony under him.

"STOP! AHHHHH! STOPP!!" Mark's screams filled the dark sky.

"This is what's going to happen. You're going to look into this camera and you're going to make a formal apology for getting involved with Jackson and then swear to never speak to him ever again. After that, you're going to confess to being the leader behind the drug distribution and theft at your school. Lee will be released, and you'll be taken into custody. Got it?" Jay said, smiling down wickedly at Mark.

"Is that what this is about, Lee?" Mark said roughly through a clenched jaw, aching from the pressure of the foot on his cheek. 

"Eh, truth be told we were only told to make sure you don't see Jackson anymore. His father has ten thousand dollars riding on that video. The last bit about Lee I totally made up on the spot. Lee's a friend of mine. I can't have him staying in prison for much longer. Not when you're so easily manipulated." he scoffed.

Mark could feel the anger in his body rising. How exactly did Jackson's father find out about him? Just then a certain face shot into his mind's eye:  _Luna._

"How do I know you're not lying? Jackson's father wouldn't ever do this to his son." Mark questioned.

Jay lifted his foot off of Mark's face and let the boy stand up slowly before handing him a white iPhone 6. On the screen was an email from a 'Robert Wang' that outlined in detail the entire plan for the two boys to stalk, kidnap, and coerce Mark to leave Jackson alone. At the bottom of the email was a number, $20,000 to be split evenly once the video was sent and he was confident that Mark would disappear. 

Mark's eyes welled up reading the letter. He took a small step backward from Jay and then burst into tears. He shivered violently as the wind whipped against his exposed skin. In his head he couldn't stop thinking about his father, Papa Tuan, and Linda. How they were always so overprotective of him, and how they told him countless times to be careful and to never put himself in these situations. Every fiber of Mark wanted to teleport away from the field and curl up in his father's arms, thousands of miles away in sunny and warm LA. 

"Stop crying. You're pathetic. Quickly, what's it going to be?" Jay said, interrupting Mark's emotional reverie. 

"Jackson loves me, he would never go through with anything like this." Mark yelled back, his sadness turning into anger.

"That's why you're not going to tell him, idiot." Yoseob joined the conversation, a small hand held camera attached to his hand. "You're simply going to tell Jackson that you want nothing more to do with him, and that you're moving on. Don't tell him anything he doesn't need to know about this."

"Actually, you'd be doing Jackson the biggest favor by leaving him alone." Jay chimed in, "You see, his father is a powerful, powerful man. Unfortunately, he's getting sicker and sicker by the day. Luna delivered some horrible news to him the other day, that Jackson had broken up with her to pursue... other avenues. Avenues that go against every value that Robert has."

Mark was rubbing his hands on his arms, trying to warm himself up. The blood on his face and shoulders was now becoming clotted and hard.

"Jackson has a duty to his father to carry on the Wang name, as well as take his rightful place as CEO of their company. Robert is concerned that if people find out about his son being a flaming homosexual that their brand and integrity will be demolished, not to mention his own health would deteriorate out of pure shame. You don't want that do you, Marky?" Jay asked with a sarcastic pout.

"I just... I don't understand..." Mark stuttered, the air from his mouth creating cold clouds as he spoke.

"There's nothing for you to understand. Just do your part." Yoseob shot back. "Jackson can't have you fucking his entire family, career, and life up. You'll get over it soon enough, no harm done."

"No, you don't understand. I love Jackson, maybe if I had a chance to speak to Robert myself, I could tell him. I could show him that it's real." Mark pleaded with a small amount of hope in his voice.

"Forget it, that man would murder you himself before you could get a word out. He's on his deathbed, guy has nothing to lose." Jay laughed.

Mark looked around suspiciously, reaching down to his pockets to give them a light pat, searching for his phone. After realizing he didn't have it on him, Mark let out a loud shriek and turned his body to run.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jay said, easily tripping Mark back down to the ground. "Guess you're choosing option number two. How sad. Yoseob, grab the bat."

The young baby faced boy smiled creepily before opening a large black duffel bag and handing Jay a steel baseball bat eagerly.

"Is Jackson really worth never being able to flip, dance, or walk again?" Jay questioned Mark as he pressed his knee into the boy's back.

"If you're going to do it just do it. And leave me alone." Mark said quietly in a serious tone, his voice becoming extra hopeless.

As Jay stood up and gave the bat a few practice swings, there was a loud shout coming from the darkness of the corn field. Moments later a black-winged Jackson entered the clearing in a frantic jog, huffing as he slowed down to a stop.

"MARK!" he panted, "What the fuck is going on here?!" he asked, now noticing the other men.

"Well, this is sufficiently awkward." Jay said, swinging the bat around playfully. "I'm sort of glad you could join us."

"Mark!" Jackson said with a shocked expression, noticing his boyfriend's battered face. Jackson ran towards the boy immediately, but got stopped halfway by Yoseob who wouldn't move an inch, blocking Jackson's path sternly.

"Move, or I'll fucking destroy you." Jackson growled, shoving Yoseob to the side easily. After moving past the boy, Jackson felt a hard metal object hit his leg. Yoseob had grabbed another bat and nearly broke Jackson's leg with it.

Jackson hit the floor instantly, rubbing his leg and groaning in pain. 

"Yoseob, what did I tell you? Just Mark. Not Jackson. His father will deduct all of that off your pay you fucking idiot." Jay shouted at the overzealous boy with the bat.

 "Sorry, I've just always wanted to do that." Yoseob giggled back.

"What does my father have to do with this?!" Jackson said angrily, now limping towards Mark. 

"Strange Robert never mentioned any of this to his own son. I guess it's too late now though..." Jay said softly to himself. "Basically we're here to make sure that your spoiled ass gets to inherit your father's entire fortune and marries a nice woman and makes lots of babies to carry on your last name."

"What does this have to do with Mark? Please, just let him go. He needs to go to a hospital." Jackson pleaded, rubbing Mark's bruised face.

"Oh, he's not going anywhere until he swears to never have any more contact with you ever again." Jay said back shaking his head slightly.

"Sure, whatever. Yes! I agree I'll never see Mark again. Please, just let him go!" Jackson said quickly. Mark's head perked up and he gave Jackson a very concerned and scared look.

"What do you mean, Jacks?" he asked.

"Look, you're not about to get beaten to death on my behalf. I love you too much to allow that to happen." Jackson answered back, pain in his voice.

"How heroic. Too bad it's not working like that. You see, it's Mark that we need to get the promise from. On this here camera, to be exact." Jay said, grabbing the camera from Yoseob. "Your word means nothing, his means everything."

"Mark, baby. Please. Just do what they ask you. You have no idea how much I hate every inch of myself for putting you through this." Jackson said, now starting to get emotional.

"Jackson don't you dare take blame for these psychopaths. You did nothing wrong. _We_ did nothing wrong." Mark said back, rubbing his cheek into his boyfriend's trembling hand.

"I swore I would protect you from anything. But here I am, being the only reason you're ever in trouble." Jackson spoke quietly, and Mark could hear the tears in his voice. "Maybe you are better off without me."

"See, even your boyfriend is so easily ready to drop you. Sounds like it's a win win for us all!" Jay laughed, kicking Mark's foot softly.

"Don't. fucking. touch. him." Jackson threatened Jay without looking at him.

Jay moved back a little at the sound of Jackson's angry voice. "Yeesh. Whatever man. Just tell him to make the video so we can get out of here."

"Babe, I need you to listen to everything I'm about to say, and trust in me." Jackson started, his voice shaky, "You know I love you more than anything. I would never hurt you. But what I need from you right now is to tell that camera everything they want to hear. Please, please just do this for me."

Mark began to tear up at Jackson's words, wondering if Jackson really never wanted to see him again.

"Please, just trust me." Jackson beckoned, his left eye making a quick wink.

Mark was so confused at the entire situation. His face was on fire, and every muscle in his body was aching and throbbing in pain. The air around him was biting at his skin and causing him to shiver more and more.

"Fine. I'll do it." Mark said through his chattering teeth.

"Serious? Sweet!" Jay said, surprised.

***

"My name is Mark Tuan. I am 22, and I live on 5th and Waterloo Avenue. I am a first year nursing student at UBC, and for the last month I've been dating Jackson Wang. I love him, and he loves me." Mark said robotically, strapped to a chair with a bright hot white light on him that blinded the boy. The camera was rolling and he was doing his best to believe every word he was being forced to say into the camera.

"Wrap it up Mark." Jay said, pacing around behind the camera.

"I promise, that from this point on. October 31st, that I will cut all ties from Jackson. I will never see, hear, or speak to him ever again as long as I live. He will never hear from me, see me, or have anything to do with me from this point on." Mark was beginning to choke up at the words coming from his mouth, which made Jay turn the camera off.

"Good, we have what we need. That was an Oscar worthy performance, Mark. You should be proud, you just made me ten thousand dollars richer." he smirked.

"Let's get this back to Robert. I'm starving, and it's fucking cold here." Yoseob said, packing up the equipment.

"You guys have tonight, but come tomorrow you better follow through on your promise." Jay said before he walked out of the clearing, Yoseob right behind him.

When the two boys were finally out of eye and ear shot, Mark turned to Jackson and ran into his arms. Jackson wrapped his large arms around Mark's wounded body, doing his best to be gentle and not hurt the boy.

"I was so scared..." Mark said into Jackson's chest.

"I know baby. It's okay. I'm here now. You're okay." Jackson whispered into Mark's ear. The two boys stood in the clearing, the only sounds around them were the corn stalks rubbing into each other from the wind. 

"Let's get you to a hospital. My car is near the entrance with Krystal." Jackson said, his face dropping as he remembered their friend, "Oh my god, Krystal!"

He picked Mark up with ease, cradling him into his arms like a large baby. Mark gladly nestled up into Jackson's body, their wings draping behind them, leaving a mixture of black and silver glitter as they walked together. Jackson covered Mark's head in small kisses as they walked towards the entrance to find their friend. Mark was so relieved to be in his boyfriend's loving arms, but was immediately met by anxiety at the thought of never seeing him again.

"J-Jacks? Mark mumbled, looking up at the Hong Kong native.

"Yeah babe?" Jackson answered softly.

"We're not really going to stop seeing each other, are we?" he asked with trepidation.

"Of course not. I just told them that to make sure you were safe. I told you, I'm never leaving you." Jackson said back sternly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them while he walked with a slight limp.

"Good." Mark said simply, moving his head back into his boyfriend's warm chest, unsure of what the next few days would bring.

 


	21. City of Angels

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Mark zipped his black backpack up with a huff. He was still sore from the altercation between him, Yoseob and Jay. Jackson was busy downstairs in the parking lot outside the apartment, packing up a few more of Mark's bags.

When Mark finally limped his way down the elevator and into the large parking lot, Jackson gave him a pout and a loving hug. 

"My poor love. I'll never get used to seeing you like this. It's taking everything in me not to piggy back you everywhere." he said, rubbing Mark's back lovingly. 

Mark let his body go limp, resting his head into Jackson's shoulder for comfort.

"I'll be okay. Let's get the rest of this stuff packed in. I want to get to the airport quickly, and with lots of time to spare. I hate being late for these kinds of things." Mark said, pulling his head away from Jackson.

"Yeah, I know. Let's get outta here." Jackson said back, taking the bags from Mark and placing them into the SUV.

The drive to the airport was long, and Mark was running through all the things he would say to his father once they arrived in L.A.

"You know, I love your father for allowing me to come. That's so cool of him." Jackson said, squeezing Mark's hand that was interlocked with his, with his other hand gripping the leather steering wheel. 

"He's going to love you. Anybody that's a good friend of mine is welcomed lovingly by him." Mark smiled back, glad that Jackson was going with him too.

After going through customs and security, Mark was beginning to feel a sense of anxiety. He felt as though they were runaways, or escaped fugitives. 

On the plane, Mark leaned his head into his boyfriend's neck, closing his eyes and breathing heavily. 

"Don't worry babe, we'll be there soon enough. You can take in the warm sun, see your family, it'll be a much needed vacay. No need to think of everything that's going on right now. Just enjoy the peace." Jackson whispered into Mark's hair, planting small pecks here and there between words.

The plane began to speed up, and before they knew it, the two boys were off the ground and flying towards sunny California. 

***

A couple hours later Mark was awoken by Jackson's soft hands rubbing against his cheek.

"Wakey wakey, babe." he hummed. "We're here now. You're home."

Mark slowly blinked his eyes a few times, groggy from the power nap. He lifted his head softly and rubbed his eye, eager to look out of the window. Below them, he could see the city that he grew up in. The buildings, the palm trees, the highways, and the water. He felt a warmth overcome him, and he smiled as they descended onto the pavement.

PAPA TUAN (text)

_"U here? I'm at the restaurant. U need food?_

_Love, dad."_

MARK TUAN (text)

_"I can see u dad lol, be there in a minute."_

When Mark saw his dad, it took nearly all of his personal strength to not cry, and even though he tried to keep it in, a few tears escaped. Raymond was overwhelmed with joy at the sight of Mark, his grey hair slicked back and his mustache fluffy. He beamed with laughter as Mark ran in for a hug, wrapping his arms around his son that he hadn't seen in what seemed like a lifetime.

"So skinny my boy. They got no food in Vancouver?" he piped as Mark hugged him.

Mark chuckled through his tears, not wanting to let go of his dad.

"I missed you so much. You have no idea." Mark sniffled, half sad and half joyful. Being away from his dad for this long had done a number on his heart. He couldn't remember what his dad smelled like or felt like. The pain and stress he had gone through in Vancouver made him even happier to be home, away from it all. Behind him, Jackson stood patiently, holding Mark's bags - Jackson was the best thing to happen to him in Vancouver, so he couldn't completely hate the place.

"This is your friend?" Papa Tuan asked, walking toward Jackson.

"Yeah dad, this is Jackson. Jackson... dad." Mark said, motioning to his father.

"It's really awesome to meet you, Raymond. Mark won't shutup about you. He tells me how great you are daily. I really, really want to thank you for letting me visit." Jackson spoke quickly, bowing twice in between sentences.

Raymond paused, looked over to Mark and gave a large and cheerful eye smile.

"Wow, I like this one." he said, giving Jackson a large bear hug. "I hope your friend likes food too! That's all you will be doing at my house."

Mark was lost in the moment, his heart growing and growing at the sight of his father and Jackson hugging. Although he hadn't explained that Jackson was his boyfriend, he felt a deep sense of security that told him that his dad knew - oh, he knew, and he didn't care, he still liked Jackson, and still loved Mark. Another tear fell from Mark's face, he wiped it quickly, tired of crying. He felt like he had been crying for a month straight, and he was eager to start laughing and having fun again.

Jackson looked over at Mark and gave him a proud smile, Papa Tuan approved of him, and he couldn't be happier.

After eating a large steak dinner at the airport restaurant, the three boys drove back to the house Mark grew up in. Nostalgia began to creep into Mark's head as they wipped past all the streets and parks he used to play at when he was younger. Now, with Jackson by his side staring at the same neighborhoods, Mark couldn't help but feel bittersweet. Everything was so different now. He recalled the days when he would sit in the back, his parents in the driver and passenger seats, driving him to school. Now he was sitting with his boyfriend, his father was older and greyer, and the passenger seat was empty. Mark leaned his head against the window and let the feelings pass through him.

"Your room is the same as when you left it. I tried not to poke around too much in it, so you should feel right at home. There's a spare bedroom in the den for Jackson, if he would be more comfortable there-" his dad called out, hurrying the bags into the house.

"Uhm.." Mark began to say.

"-I don't mind staying in Mark's room. I grew up with a lot of cousins, I'm used to being around people in bedrooms. I prefer it, actually." Jackson quickly said.

"Good! Now you won't feel awkward when I bring some ladies home tonight~" Raymond teased.

Mark rolled his eyes and laughed, pulling on his suitcase as he entered the small and cozy home.

Inside his room, he immidiately fell onto his back, landing on the soft bed with a muffled thud. He stretched out his limbs as far as they'd go, sighing happily to be home.

Jackson started unpacking his clothes and putting them into the empty dresser, watching happily as Mark rolled around like a small cat.

"You boys going to be okay tonight? I have some work that I really need to get done, but I promise tomorrow I took the day off of work and I'm going to give you the homecoming you deserve, sound good?!" Raymond called from the living room. 

"Yeah, of course we'll be okay. Thanks dad!" Mark yelled back.

Jackson strolled slyly towards the door, pushing it closed with his foot until he heard a click. He glided back to the bed and planting himself ontop of Mark's body, getting a fistful of the boy's blonde hair before kissing him softly. The two made out for a minute before Mark broke it up.

"When should I tell my dad about what's happening?" he pressed, a concerned look in his eyes.

Jackson answered with another kiss, not letting Mark get worked up over the Vancouver issues.

"We're here now, not there. We're thousands of miles away. In this room. Alone. On a bed..." he trailed off, nibbling on the side of Mark's ear.

Mark giggled and jerked his head away, tickled easily.

"Babe, I'm sleepy." he told Jackson, pulling his phone out to look at the time. It was 9PM, and Mark decided that was a decent time to get ready for bed.

Jackson pouted for a second before smiling and kissing Mark's cheek. "I know you're tired Bambi. How about this, I'll give you a massage and then in the morning you can make it up to me, alright?" he giggled.

"That sounds absolutely divine." Mark answered, turning his body over to let Jackson massage him.

The younger boy removed Mark's clothes, ripping them off of him quickly, being careful not to hurt him. Once Mark was laying in front of him in nothing but tight black underwear, Jackson began rubbing at his thighs and the lower half of his ass. 

Mark smiled and giggled a little, still ticklish. But he let Jackson continue. The massage began to lull Mark into a relaxed sleep.

Jackson looked over five minutes later and realized that Mark was asleep. He shook his head a little and smiled to himself, but continued to rub the boy's back and shoulders, wanting Mark to be completely relaxed and restored for their big day tomorrow.

He kissed Mark's head and turned the light off before crawling back into the bed and pulling the boy into him, wrapping his large arms over Mark and falling asleep.

 

* * *

 

~ This chapter wasn't my best work, and it's kinda shoter. I've had a super rough couple of days, but I wanted you guys to know I did not forget about this story and I want so badly for it to end well for you all. So stick around, and I promise to make it worth your while :) <3


	22. Siu Mai

  
  
  
  
  


Mark woke up early, relaxed and refreshed. He let his hand wander to the other side of the bed and noticed that his boyfriend was still sound asleep, snoring quietly in peace. Mark smiled and snuggled back into him before pulling his cellphone out.

MARK TUAN (text)

_First night waking up at home, feels good. How is it going back in Canada?_

KRYSTAL JUNG (text)

_Boring. Come home. I miss you. Bruiser misses you too, I know because I speak dog._

MARK TUAN (text) 

_HAHA! We'll be back in a couple days, try not to miss me that much._

KRYSTAL JUNG (text)

_I hate you!~ Can't wait to see you, enjoy yourself.  
Oh and have sex on the beach for me please. ;)_

Mark laughed and turned his cellphone off. With a quick stretch he yawned to himself and slipped out of the bed, leaving Jackson to sleep in silence.

Mark wandered slowly down the dark wooden hallway, staring intently at all of the pictures of his childhood. His heart sank a little everytime he spotted pictures of his mother, but he quickly reminded himself that she was in a better place; still he couldn't help but miss her.

"Good morning, Dad." Mark whispered, rubbing his eyes.

Papa Tuan jerked his head a bit in surprise, unaware that Mark was awake. "Hey champ. How was your first night here?"

"Good. I haven't slept this well in a very long time." Mark answered, digging through the cupboard for cereal.

"Don't eat that crap, we're going out for Dim Sum!" Raymond laughed, clearly excited. "Wake Jackson up, I wanna beat the rush!"

With that Mark giggled and headed back to the bedroom to wake Jackson up. When he cracked the door open he realized Jackson was already awake looking through his phone, with a very concerning look on his face.

"Babe?" Mark questioned.

"You're never going to believe what just happened." Jackson said slowly, turning his phone towards Mark.

Mark grabbed the phone and read the article to himself, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw. 

**Wang Enterprises names new young, determined, and fresh heir by the name of Park Jaebeom.**

"He's fucking disowning me, I know it. This is his way of telling me that he won, and I lost." Jackson said, his fist clenching firmly. "I can't believe my father, ugh!"

"Wow, I can't believe this." Mark said, sitting down next to the angered boy. "This is all my fault."

"Please don't make this about you, Mark. You know better than anyone that he would've done this regardless of who I was with. I just happened to fall in love with you, I'd get the same treatment no matter which boy I was with." Jackson reminded him.

"I guess you're right, but I'm just really really shocked that he's going to these lengths to make it clear to you that he doesn't want the company scathed by the whole gay thing." Mark said with a confused tone.

"My father will stop at nothing to make it clear what he likes and doesn't like, he's like a cruel totalitarian ruler." Jackson's voice grumbled.

"Um, my dad wants us to leave soon to go get dim sum. I can tell him that we're fine, if you wanted to stay and cool off a bit?" Mark said softly, putting his hand on Jackson's shaking leg.

Jackson shook his head once, "No, I should go. I can't disrespect your father just because mine is a complete bastard."

*

"Ah yes we'll have this, this, ooh and few of these, and I want a glass of this, two bowl of that, and maybe some of this too?" Raymond told the waitress with the food cart, marking down every item his heart desired.

"Wow, your dad is like the dim sum king." Jackson giggled, feeling a little less angry now that he was out of the house.

"Yup, you'd be amazed. It's like the guy has a bottomless pit for a stomach. Anything and everything just goes down the hatch." Mark laughed back.

"Hey, I can hear you two!" Papa Tuan interrupted with a jovial grin. "Get prepared, I'm about to show you two how to  _really_ eat."

Ten minutes later the food began to arrive; sprawled over the large table were bowls upon bowls of different dim sum items. Dumplings, chicken feet, pork, mango pudding, sticky rice, and so much more lay before the couple.

Jackson gulped a little and looked over at Mark who seemed to be unaffected by the smorgasbord of food, clearly used to the amount. As he leaned back in his chair, Jackson observed the Tuan boys, and in that moment they looked completely identical to him: Mark and Raymond were mirroring each other's movements, completely engulfing the meal in front of them, their bowls raised to their faces as their chopsticks mashed away, shoveling the food into their hungry mouths.

Jackson began to smile deeply as he watched the two, then decided it was time to join. At his house, his father was usually the one to say what could or couldn't be eaten, and usually it was polite to wait until he had begun eating; however, it was a whole new ballgame with the Tuan family. It felt warm and natural to Jackson, like being at home - except it was a home he didn't even know he had.

"Babe, eat." Mark said, rice falling out of his mouth, a goofy smile across his face.

"Okay, okay." Jackson laughed back, digging into the noodle dish that was in front of him.

*

The three men ate all morning, right until 2PM, and when they were finished, Jackson almost felt like calling an ambulance to pick them up - he was stuffed.

"Wow, I feel like I'm about to die. I've never been this full in my whole life." Jackson groaned, his hand rubbing his bloated belly.

"I can tell it has been a while since you've really let yourself eat." Raymond joked, "Now you know how we roll."

Mark only smiled at his father and then put a loving hand on his boyfriend's thigh under the table, rubbing it lightly.

For a moment, Jackson forgot completely about his father, and the apparent new heir to his family fortune: Jay Park. 


	23. Retreat

 

   
   


“Bambi, wake up.”

It was  3AM and Jackson’s voice was very low, a serious and concerning tone to it.

Mark got up quickly and turned the side lamp on, wondering what was going on.

Jackson had a jacket and two large bags packed, his eyes seemed frantic and a bit angry. Mark checked the time and then turned back to his boyfriend.

“Hun, it’s the middle of the night, what’s wrong?” Mark grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“This is going to sound  bat shit insane, but I need you to just trust me, okay? Can you do that?” Jackson said, tossing a pair of clothes at Mark’s feet, then helping the boy get undressed.

Mark let his body go limp and let his boyfriend pull his pants and shirt off, then assisted him in getting into the fresh pair of clothing he supplied.

“Okay, I’m dressed. Now, you gonna tell me what’s going on? You’re worrying me.” Mark finally asked, placing his hand firmly on Jackson’s hand.

“I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about home. About my dad, my company, everything.” Jackson said hesitantly. He looked away, pulling out two freshly printed tickets. “I’m heading back to Vancouver tonight. I already called a cab.”

Mark’s heart began to race, realizing now just how real this all was to Jackson. Before he could say anything Jackson interrupted him again.

“I packed your bag too. There’s a ticket here as well. It expires tomorrow, so if you decide not to come I can refund it. The choice is on you.” Jackson explained.

“Jackson…” Mark exhaled, looking around and then up to meet the boy’s gaze.

Jackson cupped Mark’s cheeks between his palms and steadied the boy’s face. “Mark, sweetheart. Listen to me, I don’t like that I’m putting you in this position. Seeing you and your father together was the best time I’ve had in a long time, and it made me feel like I was home.  Believe me, I wouldn’t ever want to take that away from you. That’s why I’m giving you this choice. Come with me or don’t come, I won’t be upset either way. I know you haven’t seen your dad in a long time. This is just… I have to deal with this once and for all.”

Mark, calming down now, sighed and nodded his head slowly, understanding the severity of what was going on back home. “You’re right, it’s your family. Your future, it’s all in jeopardy. You have to deal with it. I was stupid to think we could just run away and escape all of our problems here. We can’t ever, they have ties sewn deep into us and will continue to find their way back into our lives no matter where we go.”

“I won’t blame you if you stay,  baby. ” Jackson repeated, looking deep into Mark’s eyes.

There was an intense look coming from Mark, but after about 30 seconds of thinking he replied, “Just let me say goodbye to my dad at least.”

*

“Mark stared out of the window on the airplane, fighting back the tears that were trying to escape his eyes. He didn’t want Jackson to see him upset.

Truthfully he would’ve loved to stay and spend time with his father, but he knew that if he missed this opportunity to tie up the loose ends at home, he may never get a chance to, and his and Jackson’s relationship would become rocky.

“I’ll make it up to you one day, don’t worry  Mark. ” Jackson promised, placing a loving hand on Mark’s thigh.

Mark continued to stare blankly at the window, rubbing a little at the hand on his leg. He let out a sigh, and then closed his eyes, wanting to sleep through the sinking feeling in his stomach.

*

There was  an Uber at the airport when the boys finally arrived. It was now  6AM , and the lack of sleep was wearing on Jackson.

“I’ll drop you off with Kris, make sure you text her. I’m going straight  home though.” Jackson groaned, slamming the trunk closed and hopping in the back next to Mark.

Mark pulled his hood over his head and nestled into Jackson, the younger boy wrapping an arm around him to allow him to sleep the rest of the way home.

MARK TUAN (text message)

_ "Kris, I’m here. Come down." _

KRYSTAL JUNG (text message)

_ "Yeeeee~" _

Krystal nearly knocked Mark over with her tackle hug. She placed a neat kiss on his cheek and then rushed to greet Jackson as well. Being polite, she took Mark’s bag and carried it up to her suite for him.

“Just hide out in Krystal’s apartment for now, okay? I don’t want you spending time alone. I already feel bad enough robbing you from your dad.” Jackson instructed him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“I’ll be okay, just go finish this, okay? And  babe , please be safe.” Mark whispered into the boy’s chest. “I’ll be here when you’re finished.”

Jackson pulled Mark’s chin up and kissed him slowly and deeply. They hugged for a few more seconds before Mark broke away, letting Jackson get back into the Uber.

“I’ll call you in a bit, love  you. ” Jackson said, slamming the door.

“Love you too.” Mark hummed as the car pulled away. He sighed to himself and turned around, the gates of The Ambassador were familiar and cold.

Although he was home, it still didn’t feel the same. Part of him missed Krystal, Bruiser, dance class, and even Linda. He exhaled and entered the building, going to Krystal’s place instead of his own.

He felt a bit lonely now that Jackson was gone. When he looked at his watch it was  7:30AM. He took out the necklace that was hiding behind his shirt, rubbing the silver animal that read _Bambi_ and squeezing it, giving it a small kiss.

_“How long until Jackson calls me?”_ He thought, putting his phone away and walking into the apartment.

* * *

A/N: I'm preparing to end this story at long last, so stick around for the big finale. :) It's been a long time coming, but I feel like I should just get it over and done with so I can move onto other projects. 


	24. Affinity

  
  
  


“You were gone entirely too long monkey. I almost had to make friends with Linda. She started to actually talk to me, it was weird.” Krystal said, sitting cross-legged on the sofa as Mark placed his belongings down in the living room.

He wanted so badly to be happy and cheerful that he was around friends and home, but his anxiety about Jackson was robbing him of that.

“Kris, I’m worried about Jackson.” He finally said, staring blankly into Krystal’s eyes. He chewed on his bottom lip a little, unsure what else to say.

“What’s going on?” Krystal said back, adjusting herself on the couch to pay more attention.

Mark sat down next to her and flung his head back, his hands covering his face as he grumbled and attempted to exhale all of the stress from his body.

“He’s on his way to confront his father,” Mark said from behind his hands. “His father is threatening to name a new heir to their family business and fortune: A boy that isn’t even related to Jackson… a boy that his father even had the audacity to hire in order to break Jackson and I up.”

“Wow, that’s seriously messed up. Want me to beat him up?!” Krystal said, trying to lighten the mood like she always did.

Mark wasn’t feeling it.

“Look – I’m sure his father is just bluffing. That’s how all dads are anyway, they like to control and micromanage their son’s life. Especially someone as powerful as Jackson’s dad; he doesn’t know what it’s like to not get his way. He’s just a big kid throwing a tantrum because for once Jackson didn’t succumb to his every command.” Krystal spoke softly, placing a comforting hand onto Mark’s shoulder.

Mark forced out a small side smile at Krystal, “You know… you don’t always bestow nuggets of wisdom, but when you do… man do you ever. Thanks.”

Krystal answered with a smack to Mark’s leg. “You jerk. I’m always right! I’m like a damn counselor. I’m like a sage or a shrink.”

***

Jackson slowly drove through the large black steel gates, his gaze fixated on the door in front of him.

Ever since getting the news of his father giving up Jackson’s rightful inheritance, he had slowly distanced himself from this place. It wasn’t home anymore. And even when he closed his eyes and imagine it, it still didn’t feel the same.

He wasn’t ever going to be home. Not until he finally made his decision.

“Janice, tell my father I’m here to speak with him,” Jackson instructed the plump cleaning woman. She stared back at Jackson as if she’d seen a ghost, her hands gripped tightly on the broom as if she was going to fight Jackson off.

“Please, Janice,” Jackson said again. She simply nodded and backed away quickly, disappearing up the stairs.

Jackson’s home was large – too large. There were famous paintings lining all of the hallways, pictures of his family and even a portrait of Jackson’s father. At the end of one hallway, there was an empty square on the wall, it was intended for Jackson’s own portrait when he took over the family business. Right now, though, it was just a vacant area that signified everything that was wrong about his life: he didn’t fit.

As he sat on the leather couch in the foyer, his eyes nearly welled up with tears thinking of the things that had happened between his father and him.

He was the black sheep – the one that never did as he was told. Even by being born gay, Jackson was already defying his father. Sitting there, looking at the empty space next to all of the men in his family’s pictures… it was like he was looking at his future. Would he ever belong again?

Just then he got a buzz on his phone, and it almost tipped him over the edge of emotions.

MARK TUAN (text message)

“Babe, I miss you. Hurry back to me.”

Jackson smiled warmly, his vision blurry as he read the text message over and over. He wiped a tear away from his cheek quickly and squeezed the phone tightly.

He realized then what he needed to do.

Mark was his home. He always was. Ever since their fateful meeting at the dance studio, there was always something about Mark. Something that words couldn’t explain, he knew then that he was meant to be with Mark.

Plato, the great philosopher, once said: “According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with 4 arms, 4 legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.”

Maybe this whole time Jackson was simply fumbling around, never really feeling as though he belonged as a direct symptom of being away from Mark for all these years. That would explain why it never worked out with anybody else.

“What are you doing here? This isn’t your home anymore.” The words were cold and dark, coming from behind Jackson.

Breaking from his daydream, Jackson looked over and met eyes with his father. The man was short and strong, staring at Jackson with what can only be described as disgust. His black suit and tie were primped and proper, framing his stout body; he looked like a war general.

“This is my home just as much as it is yours, dad.” Jackson rose, taking a step towards his dad. “Just as much as I am your son, and your blood is in my body.”

“Family matters to you now, does it?” the man shot back, not even flinching one bit. “You made your choice Jackson when you chose that hoodlum and that disgusting lifestyle. You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here.”

Jackson’s cheeks flushed and his lip quivered as he felt the adrenaline fill his body. “You can’t do that, it’s not-“

“I will do what I must, to maintain the integrity of _my_ company!” his father broke through, silencing Jackson just like he was always able to do.

Jackson gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw as he stared at his father with a mixture of horror and sadness.

When Jackson felt his eyes begin to water again, he immediately turned his face away to stare out of the window, he didn’t want his father to see him cry. That would admit weakness, which would mean that Jackson has lost.

Staring out the window, Jackson saw a black Cadillac pull up through the long driveway. Its windows were tinted a dark color so that he wasn’t able to see who was driving. He stared long and hard as the car came to a stop and a man stepped out. He was wearing a dark coat and a large brimmed hat, concealing his face well.

_Knock knock knock._ The door rattled as the man banged on the wooden door.

“Come in.” Jackson’s father spoke loudly, his gaze never leaving Jackson.

When Jackson turned himself to meet whoever was at the door, he expected Jay to walk through with a smug look on his face, but who showed up instead shocked him to the core.

Standing there with a strong and unassuming stance was Lee, his head lifted just enough so that you could make his face out from the brim of the hat he was wearing.

_What the fuck is he doing here?_ Jackson instantly thought to himself, eyeing the man who had caused him so much grief in the past.

“Miss me?” Lee hummed, a small _hmph_ coming from his mouth as he looked over at Jackson.

“Not even a little.” Jackson scoffed, taking a step back as he flared his nostrils in anticipation.

Lee walked further into the home, “Well when you hear what I’m about to say you’re going to be thankful I even showed up at all.”

“Have you done what I requested, or have you failed me once more?” Jackson’s father pressed, wrenching his neck back towards Lee.

Lee shrugged, then took his leather gloves off and placed them on the mantle. “Not exactly. You see, there was a bit of an accident…”

“I don’t like accidents, Gikwang.” His father said as he walked towards Lee, eager to hear what exactly had happened.

Jackson eyed the two men down, unsure of what was going on. The sight of them both made him completely and utterly uncomfortable.

“What the hell are you guys talking about? Where’s Jay, dad?” Jackson attempted to interrupt but was silenced yet again by a stiff hand three feet from his face. His father’s palm was in the air, blocking Jackson out of the conversation.

“I’m sorry to say, Robert, but Jay is no longer in a position to accept your… proposition.” Lee hissed, smirking at Jackson for a split second before taking in Raymond’s expression.

By now Jackson’s father was livid; his fists were clenched tightly and his eyebrows were raised intensely.

“What the hell did you do to him, Lee?!” he shouted, moving half a step towards the boy.

“I did nothing to him that he didn’t deserve. But take it from me, he sends his deepest regards.” Lee answered.

“You little fucker, just wait until-“ Raymond fumed, mumbling curses as he quickly speed-walked to his nearby dresser. He slid the top drawer open and then punched the back out, revealing a hidden compartment. From there he reached into the dark space and pulled out a .25 automatic pistol, promptly aiming it right for Lee.

“Jackson, get down!” Lee yelled, waving his arm towards the boy.

Jackson’s heart fluttered seeing the weapon drawn, and he immediately hit the floor and ducked behind a sofa, shutting his eyes as tight as he could.

Jackson heard a piercing noise echo through the house like a lightning bolt, the sound of gunfire ricocheting down the halls. A few seconds later another shot rang out into the air. Jackson lowered himself so close to the floor that he was nearly pressing his lips against the carpet.

The animosity stirred something inside of Jackson, making him dizzy and his vision blur. His adrenaline had hit its peak and he was now slowly losing consciousness.

Just before everything went black, Jackson heard the scream of a person that was neither his father nor Lee – it was Mark.

***

“Jackson, wake up.” A familiar voice said.

It took a few moments for the boy to regain his consciousness but when he did, he was surprised to see that he was laying in the back of an ambulance, on a stretcher with an ice pack on his head.

He looked up to see Lee sitting on the side of the bed, a concerned look on his face. Jackson quickly sat up, almost too quickly, and nearly fainted again from the rush of blood and swift movement.

“Easy there…” Lee said calmly, pressing Jackson back down onto the stretcher. “You don’t wanna black out again, otherwise, your boyfriend will hit another police officer.”

“M-Mark?” Jackson whimpered, rubbing the ice on his forehead. “Where’s Mark, is he okay?!”

“I said calm down!” Lee shot back, “Mark is fine. After he saw you hit the floor and heard the gunshots, he assumed you were shot. Poor kid nearly fought off an entire police squad when they took you away on a stretcher. He didn’t leave your side for one second until they demanded that he give a statement.”

Jackson breathed a sigh of relief and laid back into the bed. “And my dad?”

“Well, I hope he’s a better lawyer than he is a marksman. He took out two windows and a painting, but didn’t even get close to hitting me.” Lee laughed. Jackson stared at him dumbfounded, finding nothing funny about the situation at all.

“Your father is going to jail for a long, long time for this one. Don’t worry – I knew that if I made it seem as though I had hurt his precious new heir, he would snap – and sure enough, he did. Good thing I called the police ahead of time and they got there just as your dad went off. I learned that trick from you, actually.” Lee winked.

“I don’t… I don’t understand.” Jackson groaned lightly.

“There’s nothing to understand. I took care of Jay for you, and Yoseob too. I can promise you they’ll never interfere in your life again. You and Mark can have the life you deserve now. Free from the chains of your father, and free from the dangers of his thugs. You’re finally free to be yourself. Just be happy.” Lee explained, standing up and walking to the exit of the ambulance.

“But, why are you helping me?” Jackson asked before Lee could jump out.

Lee paused, turned his head slightly to the right to look at Jackson, adjusted his hat a little, and then started down the aluminum steps. When he got to the last one he stopped and sighed, turning back again, “Because I love him, Jackson. I always did. But I fucked it all up, and I hurt him. He will never speak to me again, and I deserve it. But this is my way of saying I’m sorry to him, even if he’ll never hear it. Please don’t tell him I helped. It’s better this way; I can make it right by admitting that you’re the one he needs. I’ll never love him the way you do, and I can accept that.” Lee’s voice was hopeful, yet defeated. He sighed one last time and then put his brave face back on, pulling himself out of the moment. “Take care of him Jackson. He’s one in a million.”

“Thank you, Lee,” Jackson said softly, unsure of where his words were. Lee was so different; it was like Jackson was speaking to a stranger. “See you around…”

“Probably not, but who knows.” Lee finally said, disappearing out of the vehicle.

Jackson rested his head onto the pillow and tried to steady his breathing, still taking in everything that happened. In the distance he heard a voice shouting and arguing – it was Mark again. This time, he was getting closer and closer to the ambulance.

“I just want to see if he’s okay!” Mark pleaded. “Please, let me go!”

“Mark?!” Jackson yelled from inside the truck, holding himself up with his shoulder, waiting to see his boyfriend.

“He’s awake!” Mark shouted, sounding like he’d never heard Jackson’s voice for years.

Jackson heard what sounded like a struggle, but then finally Mark’s face broke into view, as the redhead climbed into the back of the ambulance.

Before he could speak, Mark collided with Jackson on the bed, pressing their lips together in a warm kiss. He wrapped his arms around Jackson’s body and then nuzzled himself into Jackson’s chest, resting his forehead just under the boy’s chin.

“I thought you were shot,” he whispered, sounding a little scared.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, even though my father is insane, I know he wouldn’t shoot me.” Jackson reassured him, making Mark sigh and smile.

“So now that your dad is being hauled away to maximum security, where does that leave his estate?” Mark questioned.

“Shh, Bambi. Let’s just say you’ll never have to worry about that anymore.” Jackson smiled, placing a small peck on the top of Mark’s head.

“But babe, what about Jay, wasn’t he named the new heir?” Mark asked again, “I thought he was-“

“Shhh, I said. It’s taken care of.” Jackson hushed him. “We’re going to be alright.”

***

Laying in the back of the ambulance, the boy of his dreams wrapped in his arms, Jackson was reminded of his father’s harsh words just an hour earlier: “What are you doing here? This isn’t your home anymore.”

In that moment he realized that his father was right – it wasn’t his home. It never was, actually.

These feelings he has now, the warmth, the love, all of that are what home is. Whether it was dancing next to Mark in class, waltzing with him at the dance, piggybacking him through a cornfield, or swimming with him in the ocean, Jackson realized that he was always home with Mark, he just didn’t notice it at the time.

Home is where the heart is after all, and Jackson’s heart – his deepest affinity – was always Mark.

He leaned down and hugged Mark tightly, the sweet smell of the boy’s hair filling his lungs and warming his heart. He knew they were going to be alright, and he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with Mark. 

The End.

* * *

_ A/N: Well, this is the first piece of fiction I've ever written, and I'm feeling pretty bittersweet. I'm happy because I know that since writing this, I've grown a lot as a writer and as a storyteller. I've learned what works and what doesn't, and what not to do in the future. But I also had so much fun and met so many cool people because of this story. So even though it's over, I'm happy that I've written it and I'm excited for all the different projects I can work on now that this is finished. I appreciate all of the love, the subs, the comments, everything that you've guys have provided me with over the last few months. My journey in AFF started on this tiny little idea and even though it's not the greatest story, I don't think it would've ever turned out to be what it is without you guys continuously reading and motivating me to keep going. So thank you, thank you, thank you. <3 xoxo _

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